Sick
by bibliobibulabethyl
Summary: Canon up to the point of Beth Greene's abduction in Season 4. Beth has to rely on her own strength to be reunited with Daryl and her family.
1. Chapter 1

_Pain. It was the last thing she remembered, and the earth rising up to meet her. Then there was darkness, but it didn't scare her. It was peaceful. Calm._

 _She tried to remember what she had been afraid of, moments ago, but the memory eluded her, and so she settled into the sense of stillness. Time passed, but there was no way to tell if it was minutes or days._

 _A point came when she started to feel uneasy. As though she had a decision to make but couldn't remember what it was about._

 _It was so hard to see anything here. Like when you walk into a dark room and think if you just open your eyes a little wider that it will make a difference, and it never does. Her mind strained with the effort to figure out where she was when in the distance she saw a light. It drew closer, and she saw herself walking towards someone. There was laughter, but she couldn't tell if it was hers or someone else's._

 _And then she felt a large warm hand envelop hers. The calluses grazed over her softer skin, and she turned to gaze upon a face she never thought she'd see again._

 _"Daddy?" Beth looked up into her father's loving eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight to really see him and drink in every detail of this person she loved and missed so much. His smile was so familiar, and yet it seemed like a lifetime since she'd seen it._

 _They were standing in the middle of a field on their farm. In the distance Beth could see the house that she'd grown up in, and the barn where she was sure her horse was waiting to take her on a long ride._

 _"Bethy, my beautiful girl. I've missed you so much, honey."_

 _A light breeze moved the grass around them in smooth ripples and Beth marvelled at being home again. She looked around, drinking in the blue sky and the smell of clover, ignoring the ache in her heart that told her this was too good to be true._

 _Realization swept over her of the last time she saw him and Beth threw her arms around her father's waist, crying against his chest. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Daddy. So sorry."_

 _"Shhh. Hush now, sweetheart. It's okay." His arms wrapped around her back and pulled her closer._

 _"No." Beth shook her head and gasped in between the sobs that wracked her body. "We should've saved you. We should've done somethin'! I'm so sorry."_

 _"Now you listen, Bethy." Hershel pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes. "I lived a long and good life, and what regrets I had I made peace with. It was my time to go, honey. I am so thankful for you and Maggie." He wiped away Beth's tears and cradled her face between his hands. "What I wouldn't give to keep you both safe forever." He smiled down at her reassuringly, and she sniffed back her tears and nodded._

 _She took one of his hands in hers again and they started walking in comfortable silence through the long grass towards the house, for how long she wasn't sure._

 _"Do you remember the first time Momma let me make pies by myself?" Beth giggled. "Rhubarb ones? A whole batch of them...only I didn't realize I forgot the sugar until we started slicin' one up for dessert that night."_

 _Hershel chuckled out loud, recalling the memory. "Yes, I do. And your Mother, bless her, made us all eat it anyway. I don't think any of us would have dared complain and risk gettin' one of her looks for making you feel any worse than you already did."_

 _She laughed. "I don't think Shawn and Maggie ever went near another rhubarb pie again."_

 _Together they kept walking slowly. Beth trailed the fingers of her free hand over the tips of the grass, thinking that it felt like silk. "And Patricia and Otis comin' over on some nights to sing. I miss hearin' Momma's voice. Shawn always used to sit on the steps and act like he hated the music, but I'd catch him tappin' his foot and mouthin' the words right along with us."_

 _Beth looked over at her father. "Are they all here with you?"_

 _Before he could answer she looked toward the house and realized they hadn't gotten any closer to it, even though they'd be walking together for quite some time._

 _She came to a stop, confused. "What is this place, Daddy?"_

 _"This is all you, Bethy. I'm here for you because I knew you needed me. I'll always be here for you, honey."_

 _"But, can I stay here with you? I want to see Shawn and Momma again, so much. It's so peaceful here, Daddy, and I'm so tired."_

 _"Elizabeth, I would love to have you here with us again, but it's too soon. Your story is far from over," Hershel smiled at her again, "and you need to finish your conversation with that young man."_

 _"What?" Everything from before was so fuzzy and Beth looked into her father's eyes, trying to understand._

 _"Don't keep him waitin', Bethy. He needs you." He took her chin softly between his fingers and looked her deep in the eye. "But you be careful, sweetheart. You're in danger and you'll have to be strong."_

 _"But, I don't want to leave you! I just found you again, Daddy. I..."_

 _"Shhh. My brave beautiful girl, don't you worry about that." His voice trailed off into a whisper. "I'll be right here waitin' for you when the time comes..."_

 _Beth cried out as she started falling backward, trying to keep her father within sight but losing him once again._


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark when Edwards looked out the window of Grady Memorial Hospital and watched the car's taillights pull into the parking lot. Another pair of cops returning with someone else they "saved". He sighed in frustration.

He would never have imagined himself in this situation. Years ago, after completing medical school, he decided he was more comfortable in a laboratory setting and moved into the field of molecular pathology. It had reenergized his passion for science, but now it felt more like a jail sentence. He was just another chess piece here, like everyone else in the hospital, who Officer Dawn Lerner manipulated.

Before things fell apart, Edwards had been working at the Atlanta CDC for years on a team tasked with finding a vaccine for Ebola. When the current outbreak started, though, their efforts were obviously switched to understanding this latest viral mutation and developing a possible cure.

The worse the outbreak got, though, the fewer people started showing up for work. Coworkers were taking their own lives just down the hall. Chaos wasn't just in downtown Atlanta, but outside the doors of their offices as though panic was a plague itself that prevented any progress from being made.

At first, Dawn was grateful to have him there as the only surviving person with medical training. She let him tend to patients as best he could under the circumstances. Dawn never inquired about his area of specialty until she noticed some of the textbooks he managed to salvage from many of the former doctors' offices.

It was sheer luck that he just happened to be there the day the outbreak reached critical proportions. The few doctors remaining at Grady had already been evacuated to the camps, so as a last minute favor, his supervisor volunteered Edwards to take inventory of the medical supplies left behind and begin packing them for shipment on the last convoy out. It was on that day that the doors to the hospital were shut for good without anyone given the option to leave first.

When their small group was first confined in the hospital, the clashing of different personalities got out of hand until Hanson took charge, but even when some semblance of order took over Edwards didn't trust any of them. It seemed wise just to keep his head down and do as he was told.

As second in command it was easy to spot Dawn's headstrong ambition, and once she assumed control later on, the methods for maintaining "the system" here became unapologetically brutal. If she found out what Edwards might be capable of, he knew she would offer up some of the wards for experiments, and trials, and testing. Anything for "the greater good", she would say. As if the wards weren't put through enough already, he thought. It sickened him to know what she let her officers do to the women held here, but his situation was precarious enough, so he kept his mouth shut. Dawn Lerner had zero patience for anyone who rocked the boat that she had deemed herself captain of.

It had been more than a year ago since Dawn had found out the truth. If he hadn't thought her crazy before then she proceeded to prove him wrong.

She became obsessed with the idea of him continuing his research, making her officers scavenge other facilities and hospitals for equipment he might be able to use. If the circumstances had been different, then he might have poured himself into finding a cure with enthusiasm, but knowing that any errors in his theories meant life or death for the wards made him reevaluate his methods.

He decided to continue in his research privately, and started purposefully injecting the wards with simple saline solution or vitamins. When nothing came of these "trials", he would just shrug and say he'd keep trying. Unfortunately, Lerner caught on after a couple months. She had held a gun to his head on more than one occasion, telling him that his days here were numbered if he couldn't show any progress in his work.

Well, he thought, it turned out that necessity isn't the mother of invention. Fear is.

When the hospital was first sealed they had all rushed to the windows and watched, horrified, as napalm burned the city around them. Anyone left who survived the fire was torn to pieces by the undead on the pavement below them. Innocent people would bang on the doors, begging for their lives. The sounds their fists made, thumping against the thick metal, would echo through the whole hospital. Just the thought of being dragged out onto the streets to fend for himself was enough to keep him up into the hours of early morning on a regular basis brainstorming, and after countless hypotheses and hundreds of hours of lab work he dared hope that he might have made a small breakthrough.

It started with Edwards thinking about what had been a very common process to treat blood plasma for viral infection before the world went to hell. A variety of viruses could be inactivated by lowering their pH over a short period of time. The procedure would alter the surface chemistry of most strains and even denature them so they were effectively rendered harmless.

The one drawback is that it couldn't be performed in living tissue because it would damage cellular processes and kill the patient. His speculation was that if he deactivated enough of the viruses in a patient's bloodstream after a bite then maybe it would reduce the level of infection to the point that the person wouldn't turn. Not so much a cure, but a treatment at least. It was a start.

The problem was that he had only begun to start decoding the DNA of this virus when he was at the CDC before the chain of events unfolded that took him away from his work. There was no way to know if the virus would have a typical reaction to this treatment. An electron microscope would be required to know more, but even if Dawn's officers could somehow find one, its power usage would be too great for the resources they had.

The ultimate test would be to run a patient's blood on hemodialysis through a pH filter slightly less than blood normally is, and hope it behaved as other known viruses. It was a long shot, but it was the best idea he'd had in a while with what he had to work with.

He kept this revelation to himself for weeks, unwilling to tell Dawn and have her subject a perfectly healthy and unwilling patient to what could be a disaster. Edwards swore he wouldn't breathe a word of his theory unless a new ward was brought in who was bitten and on the verge of death anyway.

The doctor turned away from the window and sat down at his desk, wondering who the poor soul was that was going to be imprisoned in this hell next. He was just starting to pick at his supper when he heard his name being yelled by several officers down the corridor.

Edwards rushed out into the hall to see a young blonde woman being rolled in on a stretcher with a bite mark on her right wrist.

"Oh, god."


	3. Chapter 3

Officer Dawn Lerner grabbed one side of the stretcher and started wheeling it up the hall. " _You_ , Edwards!" she pointed at him. "Get over here now and save this woman!"

Edwards nervously pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and hurried forward. "Put her in exam room 4. We'll have to amputate."

One of the returning officers, Gorman, stepped forward. "It's too late for that, Doc. We found her by the side of the road," he exchanged a smug look with his partner, "and she was already bit. That was about a half hour ago, but there's no fever, yet." He shrugged.

" _Why_ did you bother bringing her back here, then? There's nothing I can do if that much time has passed!"

Dawn lashed out with her palm and connected with Edwards' left cheek. "Come on Edwards, don't act like you're just flying by the seat of your pants, here. You've been working on something lately, I know it. And you're either going to grow a pair and try to save this woman or she's going to die today because you chose to do _nothing_!"

Edwards held his cheek where a bright red mark was forming, then grimaced and shook his head, making the decision. "Get me the dialysis machine NOW! She looks to be severely dehydrated, so I'll need a saline drip set up. And get that sweater off her." Dawn snapped her fingers at the officers, motioning for them to do as he said.

He tried not to let panic overtake him, but he was breathing hard, his mind scrambling to remember all the things he needed to do. He knew diseases inside out, and how tissues and organs responded to them, but this situation made him feel like he was in way over his head with a mile of ocean beneath his kicking feet. His comfort level had always been in examining things through a microscope, removed from the situation and patient suffering. Now here he was with a living breathing person's life in his hands, and it scared him to death.

Someone rolled the dialysis unit into the room next to the young woman's bed, and Edwards' hands shook as he sterilized them in the sink. He was glad he had been proactive and installed the pH filter in the machine already. It would be one less step, and would buy the patient more time.

"I don't have time to make the incision to create an arteriovenous fistula..."

Dawn looked over and snapped at him, "What's that?"

"It's when you join an artery and a vein inside the patient's arm to create a temporary loop in their circulatory system. It allows for greater blood flow for dialysis. Blood from the heart flows through the artery into the dialysis machine and returns to the body at another point downstream in the connected vein." He dried his hands and put on a new pair of vinyl gloves. "An AV graft is quicker. You just use an artificial external vessel, a small tube, to connect the artery and vein outside the arm."

Saying an internal prayer, he located an artery and swabbed the young woman's arm before inserting the needle and connecting it to the port of the small, clear tube, making sure the valve was closed first. Edwards fought the urge to push his glasses up, and fumbled to find the vein he wanted, first wiping with alcohol and then inserting another needle and bringing the other end of the tube down to meet it, reopening the small valve.

He searched the tray next to the bed for the larger guage needle he had set aside weeks ago. "The blood is then removed through this," he inserted it in the artery upstream from the graft, "and goes into the machine for hemodialysis through a pH filter that, I hope, causes some of the virus to be inactivated..."

"You hope?!" Dawn yelled at him and grabbed his arm.

"Yes, I hope, Dawn. You're expecting me to pull miracles out of thin air, here! So, if you want this to have any chance of working then stay out of my way or your precious resources will have been wasted for nothing." Edwards bristled with anger, shrugging her hand off before he inserted the needle that would return the filtered blood after dialysis into the vein downstream from the AV graft.

The doctor connected the tubing from the machine to both IV needles, reaching over to begin the hemodialysis, but stopped at the last second. "Dammit," he said quietly. "We need to set up a citrate drip so her blood doesn't clot while it's outside of her body."

Dawn stepped forward from watching him, "We don't have much left in the medicine cabinet. Can't we use Heparin, instead?"

Edwards shook his head vehemently. "Too risky. There's more chance of localised infection with Heparin. This woman is going to need all the luck we can give her."

Dawn gave a quick nod and rushed out of the room, returning moments later with the vial, which Edwards set up on another drip into the unconscious woman's arm.

Then, with a deep breath, he turned on the dialysis machine and watched the blood move through the tubing from her arm, into the machine, and back into her arm again.

He stepped back and willed his heart to stop racing. "We'll let this run for 4 hours, no more. Her entire blood volume will circulate through the machine every 15 minutes. The saline drip will re-hydrate her and help counteract against the slight drop in pH of her blood. All we can do now is wait."

Dawn crossed her arms and looked at the figure on the bed. "How long after that will we know if it worked?"

Edwards shook his head and exhaled. "I'm not sure. We'll have to monitor her temperature, watch for any signs of decline in health. If I had to guess, I'd say we'll know within 24-48 hours how her system has reacted to all of this."

He shuddered at the odds this poor woman was facing, knowing he'd done what he could to give her a chance, but that if she survived the night he might just started believing there was a God again.

Dawn Lerner nodded and glanced at Edwards. "I'll leave you to it, then," and walked out of the room.

He sighed and decided to start tending to his patient's secondary wounds. He gave her a sedative as she would likely do herself more harm than good if she woke up, frightened and in an unfamiliar place, while undergoing the dialysis. The doctor cleaned the bite and the ugly gash on her left cheek as best he could, stitching up both in turn. He wrapped her wrist in a soft cast to finish and decided to go lay down in his office for an hour or so and then come back and check her vitals.

Before he left the room he looked down at the pale figure on the bed, her long blond hair splayed out across the pillow, and wondered what her name was.

 **Please leave a comment. I'd love to know your thoughts on this chapter! Thank you.**


	4. Chapter 4

It was about 2 hours later when Dr. Edwards came back in for his second visit.

Blood pressure was still below normal, which could easily be attributed to the dialysis. Her pulse was around 100 beats per minute, but if her immune system was fighting off any sort of infection then that was understandable.

He held the back of his hand against her forehead while he waited for the thermometer in her mouth to give him a reading. He pulled it out and checked... 99.7 F and holding.

Standing up, he replaced the empty bag of saline on the IV stand with a full one.

Before he left again he held the young woman's hand briefly. "I need you to keep fighting, okay? I'm sorry you were brought here, but if by some miracle you survive this, maybe it'll be worth it. I'll try to look out for you as much as I can, but this is not a good place. It's up to you now whether you make it or not so I'm asking you to fight. You'll have to be strong."

An hour later Edwards pushed the door to her room open to find one of the male cops standing at the foot of the woman's bed, leering down at her.

The doctor walked over to her bedside quickly, making sure she was in the same condition he left her in last time. He looked up at the officer and narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here, Gorman?"

The officer stood with his hands on his hips and smirked. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Doc. I'm just admirin' the view. Pretty little thing, ain't she?"

Edwards could barely contain the look of disgust on his face. "You've got no right to be here, Gorman. Why don't you go pick on someone your own size for a change? See how that works out for you."

He busied himself putting the blood pressure cuff on the young woman's arm, hoping the other man would just leave.

"You stakin' claim, already, Doc?" He laughed at Edwards. "It's about time. Maybe you've got a spine under that fancy white coat after all."

"Just GET OUT! I'm not trying to save her life just for you to brutalize her like you do the other women here." He put the ear pieces in and started inflating the cuff, effectively dismissing the officer, and watched the other man take his time walking out of the room.

Her blood pressure had elevated slightly, possibly due to being rehydrated, and pulse was in the low 90s. He checked the thermometer and swayed with relief... 99.5 F.

Edwards decided to sit with her for the remaining hour of her treatment, just in case any unwelcome visitors decided to come back.

* * *

With 5 minutes remaining, he found himself standing beside the bed, anxiously looking at his watch.

If someone bitten by one of those things could finally be saved? He couldn't begin to imagine how that would change the world. It would save countless lives, if there was anyone left out there, that is. He had no way of knowing. Being confined to a small portion of a hospital for more than a year while society as they knew it disintegrated left him guessing as to what happened to the rest of the world.

The doctor decided to check her vitals one last time while the last minutes ticked away.

While Edwards started pumping up the blood pressure cuff he happened to glance at the gash he had stitched up on her cheek. What the doctor saw made him drop the device in his hand onto the bed.

The cut still had a bit of redness to it, but there was a smooth scab growing over it already. He blinked and pushed his glasses up his nose, leaning in for a closer look, wondering if his sleep deprivation was affecting his observational skills. No, he thought, that cut looked like it was days old. At this rate of healing, she would have a pink scar there by the end of the week.

Edwards shook his head and scoffed at the idea. He couldn't explain it but he probably just wasn't thinking clearly after the stress of the last few hours and lack of sleep.

Turning his attention back to his patient's blood pressure, the unit gave him a higher reading than before. This time 140/93. The woman's pulse was also still elevated at 96 beats per minute, which gave him some cause for concern. Body temperature remained the same... 99.5 F.

He entered the results into the log he was keeping and put it back in his shirt pocket, looking down at the woman's pale face. Alright, Edwards thought, moment of truth.

The doctor reached over, flicking the switch to turn off the dialysis machine, and the sudden silence in the room was deafening. He held his breath as the last of her blood returned to her body, and proceeded to remove the IV needles and the graft from her one arm, carefully taping them off.

Knowing it would be a while before the sedative wore off, he decided to go find Dawn and get some assistance in getting his patient cleaned up. Edwards found her down the corridor, talking to two other officers.

She looked up, concerned. "Is everything okay, Doctor?"

He nodded and motioned with his head to speak to her more privately. "I just took the new ward off dialysis. Her vitals are slightly high but, all things considered, I'm not surprised. There's no sign of her condition worsening, yet. She won't be waking up for a few more hours, so I wanted to see if one of the other wards could help me get her into a clean johnny shirt and wash her up?"

Dawn gave Edwards a strange look. "Why do you need help to get her changed?"

He started getting flustered and ducked his head slightly. "I...I didn't think it was appropriate. I just thought it would be better if another woman was there so people didn't think..."

"Oh my god, Edwards. You're pathetic." She rolled her eyes and called out to one of the officers. "Get Noah to bring me a clean gown, and we need a cloth and a basin of water in Room 4."

Dawn and Edwards walked back in the room and stood, watching the young woman sleeping on the bed.

Dawn placed her hand on the patient's forehead and raised her brows slightly, making an approving sound. She turned her attention to the soft cast on the woman's right hand. "You certainly wrapped that up well," glancing over at the doctor with a questioning look.

"I, uh, think it would be best if she didn't know she was bitten."

Dawn raised her eyebrows even further, waiting for an explanation.

Edwards shrugged and lifted his hands. "I don't think she should be told for two reasons. One, knowing she was bitten would likely put her in a panicked state, and make it more difficult to assimilate her here." He swallowed nervously. "And two, when a person knows they're sick, the resulting depression and stress can actually interfere with their immune response."

The officer nodded. "Alright. It's your call."

Another female ward entered the room with the water and clean clothes. Dawn walked toward her. "You help him get this patient cleaned up." She turned to Edwards. "Oh, and Doctor?"

He looked up at Dawn.

"When you're done, lock the door behind you. I don't want her waking up and running down the halls before we get the chance to speak with her and explain her situation."

Edwards nodded with a sigh, and returned to the task at hand.

 **Feedback gives me life! Please take a moment and leave a comment. Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5

Beth opened her eyes with a gasp, blinking a few times to bring the ceiling into focus.

A clock was ticking loudly on the wall, and she sat up slowly, looking around the room and then down at the johnny shirt she was wearing. How could something as simple as hospital room seem so normal at one time but now be so foreign and disorienting?

Her eyes were drawn toward the daylight coming in the window, and she started to get up only to be hindered momentarily by her IV stand. This gave her pause to inspect the wounds she just realized she had. A white cast on her right hand and wrist that she'd never seen before, and above it 4 small bandages over cotton swabs. An itching on her left cheekbone made Beth reach up and inspect the stitches she felt with care, and she wished she had a mirror to see what it looked like.

Beth shakily got to her feet and wheeled her IV stand over to the window, placing her hands on the ledge and looking out at a city ravaged by neglect and the undead. Her eyes were drawn to several bodies lying on top of the adjacent building, and for some reason, seeing them grounded her. Reminded her of who she was and what she'd been through before being brought here against her will.

She heard a key opening the lock on the door and turned to see a man in a white lab coat walk in.

His eyes moved to the bed at first and then, seeing her at the window, he held his hands up in front of him in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to regain consciousness this soon." He laid his clipboard down on the bed and swallowed nervously as he approached her. "My name is Dr. Steven Edwards. I'm not going to hurt you."

Beth backed up against the nearest wall, holding her IV stand out in front of her. "Where am I? What did you do to me?" She glanced at her cast and then back at the stranger, trying to get a read on what his intentions were.

"My officers found you on the side of the road, fighting off a rotter." A woman with dark slicked-back hair in a police uniform spoke from the doorway. Beth's grip on the stand grew tighter as the officer calmly walked over to stand beside the doctor.

The woman's eyes never left hers for a moment, and Beth immediately felt the weight of this woman's appraising stare.

The man put his hands in his coat pockets and nodded toward the woman beside him. "This is Officer Dawn Lerner. She's in charge here." He turned back to the frightened patient before him. "What's your name?"

She blinked a few times, trying to get her fear under control. "Beth." Shifting her weight, she hesitated before asking her next question. "Did you bring my friend here, too? We got separated by walkers and then everythin' went black." She lifted a hand up to the back of her head, and ran her fingers over a large bump underneath her hair.

Officer Lerner shook her head and hooked her fingers on the front of her belt. "There was no one else. It was luck that we found you when we did." She eyed the young woman in front of her with a cool stare. "I think you'll make a good addition to our little community."

Beth didn't entirely know what the officer meant, but she didn't like the sound of it at all, especially with the realization that she was now on her own.

* * *

Officer Lerner left to go on her rounds, leaving Beth alone with Dr. Edwards.

He pushed his glasses up and had her sit on the edge of the bed. "You asked what this place is. It's Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Now tell me, how are you feeling?" He picked up the blood pressure cuff while she sat.

Beth looked down and shrugged. "Okay, I guess. I feel...maybe a little hot," she slipped a finger under the collar of her gown and pulled it out a bit, "and kind of...tingly all over? Is that normal?"

The doctor paused while he considered her question. "It could just be the sedative wearing off," but he didn't sound like he believed his answer entirely. He motioned toward her hand. "Your wrist was fractured when you came in."

She touched her cast. "It itches somethin' awful under this. Why would it itch so much if it's just a fractured wrist?" Her fingers started to dig under the edges of the cast, trying to scratch and get some relief.

Edwards reached out suddenly to stop her. "Don't do that!" he said, with more force than he meant to. He looked at her worried face, and sighed. "I'm sorry, I just meant don't mess up the bandage. We have to conserve what medical supplies we have here. I don't want to have to change that if it's not needed." He fidgeted with the items in his pockets, appearing flustered. "You just had some road rash on the skin above the fracture. If it's itching, that's a good sign. Means it's healing, so just leave it be so it doesn't get infected. Okay?"

Beth nodded in understanding, and smiled up at him apologetically. "Okay. Sorry."

He proceeded to take her blood pressure, then timed her heart rate and took her temperature, which he logged in his little notebook. She tried to see the numbers before Edwards slipped it back into his pocket. "Why do you need to know all that stuff? Is there somethin' wrong with me?"

He shook his head and put the thermometer back in his coat pocket. "No no. Nothing wrong, necessarily. Just you had a bit of a fever and elevated heart rate when you came in. It's one of the few things I can actually monitor with the limited resources we have here, so I might be a little ocd about the things I'm able keep an eye on."

Dr. Edwards stood up straight and smiled. "There's some scrubs and sneakers for you to change into," he nodded toward a small table in the corner. "I'll be right outside the door. Just let me know when you're presentable."

Beth slowly started to get dressed, feeling marginally better with proper clothes and shoes on if an opportunity came to escape from here. She sat back down on the bed and called out that he could come back in.

The door reopened and Edwards walked over to his patient again.

He clapped his hands together softly. "Alright. Do you want to come with me on my rounds if you're up to it? I could use the help."

Beth nodded hesitantly, standing up, only to grab on to the doctor's arm because of a sudden dizzy spell. He held onto her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

She stood for a good 10 seconds with her eyes shut, just focusing on breathing until she felt better and nodded. "Yeah," she took a couple deep breaths," yeah, I'm fine. Just stood up too quick or somethin'."

Beth walked out into the hall with the doctor trailing behind her, not realizing how closely he was watching her.


	6. Chapter 6

He led her into the room across the hall, where she heard the distinct sounds of a heart monitor and a ventilator. A table full of large batteries sat against the wall, powering the equipment that was keeping the figure on the bed alive.

Dr. Edwards walked toward the patient, a young boy with brown curly hair. There were black circles under his eyes and his face had a sunken appearance.

"About four days ago Shepard and Licari found him curled up in the back of an old pharmacy. They said it must have been a while since he'd eaten because there were several pill bottles on the floor around him that were mostly empty. He probably thought they were vitamins. Shepard heard a faint heartbeat so she decided to bring him back here, but he still hasn't regained consciousness."

Beth saw the bruises and lacerations on the boy's face and arms, and wondered if his family was out there somewhere, worrying about him and hoping for his safety. He reminded her of Luke. It broke her heart to think of how terrified he must have been, being on his own.

The doctor reached over, shutting off the ventilator with a loud click.

Beth looked from the machine and then back to the doctor. "Why are you givin' up on him after only a few days? He's still alive!" She sat on the bed and held the boy's warm hand as the heart monitor start to beep erratically.

Dr. Edwards went on to explain. "Unfortunately, that's not how things work around here. Dawn makes the call when she feels we've invested too much in a patient." He moved behind her to retrieve something off a cart, just as the heart rate switched over to flat line.

Beth held his small hand against her cheek as a knife was plunged into his temple, wondering what kind of hospital this was if life didn't seem to hold any value with them.

"Come on. If you're going to be helping out here then you need to learn what comes next." The doctor began wheeling the gurney and corpse out that was now covered in a sheet.

Beth took the lead, holding on to the front end as they wheeled it down the corridor. Dawn was speaking with another officer in the hall and Edwards slowed to a stop to tell her something. All three stepped into her office to continue the conversation.

Beth continued on walking, pausing when she saw someone at the far end of the corridor mopping the floor. It was a young man, dressed in scrubs, as well. He noticed her watching and finished up, moving out of sight with his bucket.

She continued to stare ahead, not really seeing anything while her thoughts moved to Daryl, sitting next to him at the table, that last night in the kitchen at the funeral home. She'd been trying to tease an answer out of him about why he changed his mind about people being good. Beth remembered the way he suddenly turned all shy and quiet, though she didn't really understand why at first.

Back at the prison, and if she was being honest with herself, a handful of times since they'd been separated from the group, she'd bit back feelings for him. Just a silly crush, Beth thought, and she'd mentally chastised herself for being so stupid when it was pretty obvious to her that he never saw her that way.

But that night, the way he'd looked right into her, Beth swore she'd felt her heart stop for a second, finally realizing what he was trying to say.

Then the walkers came, and he was yelling at her to go out the window and wait for him by the road.

Her last memory of Daryl was seeing him run down the stairs to the basement, leading most of the walkers away from her.

God, if he didn't make it out, she'd never forgive herself for agreeing to leave that house without him. Tears started pooling in her eyes at the thought. She shook her head and clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sob that came out, and then watched as the door she'd been staring at, further up the corridor, suddenly slammed shut with a bang.

Beth jumped back against the nearest wall, startled. Edwards rolled the gurney up beside her a few moments later, looking at her carefully and noticing the tears in her eyes. "Are you alright? You look a little shook up."

She nodded weakly and pushed herself away from the wall. "Just not feelin' quite myself, yet. This is all pretty overwhelmin'."

The doctor nodded in understanding and looked around. "What was that noise out here?"

Then he noticed that one of the heavy metal doors about 30 feet away, always kept propped open, was now shut. As they got closer, he saw the black circular mark the triangle of wood underneath it had made on the floor, like it was still providing resistance, but the force pushing on the door had been stronger.

He adjusted his glasses, trying to make sense of it. "Huh. That's weird."

Dawn came up behind them, glancing at Beth. "Come on, body's getting cold," and passed her with a set of keys in hand.

They wheeled the stretcher down a different corridor, Dawn unlocking a set of doors and letting Edwards pass through with the body. "Beth, you stay here with me. He can do this on his own."

Beth watched through the small window in the door as Edwards continued on toward the elevator.

When he pulled up to the elevator shaft, she suddenly understood what their method of disposal was. Disgusted, she looked over at Dawn. "This isn't right. That boy deserves a proper burial."

The officer just kept watching through the window. "It doesn't matter what anyone deserves here. This is the safest way to do it so that's how it's done. My officers put their lives on the line going out on supply runs and bringing people here to be saved. I won't ask them to take more risks just to bury the bodies of people who weren't strong enough to make it. The elevator is the fastest way down to the basement. At least the rotters come in and clean some of the mess up."

Dawn turned to face her. "You may not like some of our methods here, but it's critical that we keep this place going, Beth. This may be the most important thing you ever do in your life, helping us rebuild society again, but you have to be willing to make sacrifices like everyone else here. "

Beth drew her attention away from the window, where she had been watching Edwards pull the sheet off and tuck it below, to look at the other woman. "What do you mean...sacrifices?"

Dawn hesitated and turned her gaze back to watching the doctor. "You'll learn as you go. We just need people who understand that the value of what we're doing is more important than any one individual."

Confused, Beth hooked her fingers on the bottom ledge of the small window and saw the doctor tip up the gurney. As the child slid out of sight, Beth closed her eyes and flinched at the sound the body made hitting the side of the shaft on the way down.

She needed to get out of here. There was something so very wrong about this place, and her gut told her it was only going to get worse.

Edwards rolled the stretcher through the doors next to her while Dawn locked the door behind him. He nodded at the stained sheets on the stretcher. "I'm going to clean this up, Beth. Why don't you head back to the wing where your room is? There's a pregnant woman two doors down from you who needs help with a bath.

"Meet me back in my office here when you're done." He pointed to a room they were passing by, and he and Dawn both went their separate ways, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.

She started walking slowly in the right direction, so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't hear the person who came up behind her.

"Well, if it isn't our little damsel in distress."

Beth whirled around to find a male officer with dark greasy hair smirking at her. He looked her up and down slowly as she stepped away from him.

"Now, now. Don't be shy." He moved closer, leaning in to put one hand on the wall to block her path, his face almost next to hers. He tilted his head, inhaling deeply through his nose, and Beth felt repulsed at the realization he was smelling her.

The clipboard he had tucked against his chest in his other arm was so close now she could feel the cold metal pressing against her shoulder. "We've already met, but maybe you don't remember. You were a bit preoccupied at the time." The officer chuckled like he'd just said something funny.

"I'm Gorman. Good thing we came upon you when we did, or you'd be dead by now. Which would be an awful shame with you bein' so pretty."

She cringed as he took a lock of her hair and rolled it between his fingers.

Beth pushed hard on his shoulder and stepped around him quickly, standing a few feet away, eyes wide with a mix of fear and anger. "Stay away from me."

"You got a little fight in ya'? That's good, I like that." Gorman chuckled to himself and tapped his pen on the back of the clipboard. "I think maybe when my shift is over I'll pay you a nice visit in your room so we can get more acquainted. Then you can thank me properly for savin' you."

Beth's skin was crawling at his suggestion but she glared right back at him, backing away a few more steps and then walking at a near jog in the other direction.

Gorman watched her disappear around the corner and snorted to himself, chewing the inside of his cheek in amusement until he looked down, feeling something wet on his fingers.

His pen had burst open, the black ink covering his hand and running down his arm like dark blood.

* * *

Beth was out of breath and still reeling from her encounter with Gorman. How could Dawn allow her officers to behave like that?

She started walking up the familiar corridor when a door next to her opened. Another male officer, this one taller but with similarly greased back hair, came out of the room. He finished buttoning his shirt as he moved past Beth, sneering at her before striding up the hall.

She looked in the room and saw another woman in scrubs. She had long brown hair and looked like she might be pregnant. Before Beth could ask her if she needed help with anything the woman glanced at her with a defeated expression and closed the door.

Beth stood outside, unsure of what to do, when she realized this couldn't be the room Edwards had referred to. It wasn't close enough to hers.

She continued up the hall, peering in each door, and finally came upon where she thought she might be needed. This woman was young, not much older than her, with brown curly hair. She was heavily pregnant, sitting silently in a chair and looking out the window.

Knocking softly on the door, she cleared her throat so as not to startle the woman. "Hi. My name's Beth. The doctor sent me here to help you get cleaned up."

The ward turned her head toward the door, and Beth couldn't help but notice she had a similar demeanor as the other pregnant lady she'd just seen. The woman didn't acknowledge her presence any further, but just moved her gaze back to the window.

Feeling a bit awkward, Beth walked in and pulled a chair nearby and sat down. Her hands found their way to her knees and she picked at the seam on her scrubs.

"What's your name?" She waited patiently for a response as the woman kept watching a pair of birds flying from branch to branch on a tree just outside.

The seconds ticked by until the woman swallowed and answered her question with a small sigh. "Joan. My name is Joan."

Beth smiled with a sense of relief that she was finally talking and gestured at the woman's belly. "You must be excited to be a mom. It was lucky that they found you, especially where there's a doctor here."

Joan barked out a hoarse laugh and looked at Beth. "I'd hardly call it luck seeing as how I wasn't pregnant when they brought me here."

She shook her head at Beth's puzzled expression and exhaled. "You're new here, so let me be the one to break the bad news. This place? This is a living nightmare. I thought surviving out there was rough, but that was all a picnic compared to here."

Joan shifted back in her chair in obvious discomfort, her hand moving to her swollen belly with a momentary grimace, and went on. "I've been here around 11 months, maybe a year, who knows? Two of the cops found me on the road, knocked me out and brought me back here. Dawn had just taken over. You met the bitch, yet?"

Beth nodded, dread growing in her stomach as Joan continued with her story. "Well, apparently Dawn's idea of rebuilding society includes repopulating the earth, and the asshole male cops are only too happy to comply. But to do that, she needs women. Women like you and me."

She watched as the color drained from Beth's face. "Yeah, that was probably the same look I had when I found out what the deal was here. I escaped once in the very beginning, but they found me and dragged me back. Dawn wasn't very happy with me," Joan smiled bitterly at the memory," so she gave me to Gorman to teach me, and anyone else who thought about escaping, a lesson. GAVE me to that piece of shit, like I'm not even human. Even after they found out he got me pregnant I still wasn't rid of him."

Joan looked physically ill talking about him, so Beth reached over and squeezed her hand. The other woman flinched at the contact first, and Beth tried to pull her hand back but Joan grasped it more firmly. "No, it's okay. Thank you. That's the first friendly gesture I've had since coming here."

With her other hand she wiped the tears falling down her cheeks. "The woman up the hall, Wendy, she's pregnant too. There was another, Susan, who gave birth last month. She and the baby both died. I'm glad. She'd just have to go through it all over again once they thought she was ready. And no kid should grow up in a hell hole like this." Joan rested her head back against the chair. "I hope I die, too."

Beth leaned closer, still holding on to the other woman's hand. "You shouldn't say that."

Joan shifted her head to look Beth in the eye. "Why? What would I be staying alive for? I won't be in any shape to get out of here even if I do survive, and I'm not going through this again. I just don't have it in me. I'm due any day now, so hopefully this will all be over soon."

She dried her eyes with the corner of her robe and held on to Beth's hand even tighter. "You're not like the other ones I've seen brought here. You're a tough one, aren't you?"

Beth shrugged a shoulder. "I'm stronger than they think I am."

"Damn right." Joan closed her eyes and nodded. Her hand went to her stomach again with a groan. "You just promise me something."

"Anythin'."

Joan opened her eyes to stare into Beth's. "On your way out, you kill as many of those sons o'bitches as you possibly can."

 **So, Gorman is still a monumental dick. Who woulda thunk it? Please please please, leave a comment on what you thought of the chapter. I'd love to know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Things are about to get hairy. Apologies to anyone reading who might be squeamish...**

Beth arrived at Edwards' office an hour later to eat when they both heard someone yelling in the hall. Dawn appeared in his doorway, excited. "Joan's going into labor."

They ran together, moments later finding the room where Joan was now lying on the bed, her feet drawn up. She was panting and grasping the edges of the mattress with both hands, the sheets beneath her soaked from her water breaking.

Beth went to her side and grabbed the woman's hand, wanting her to at least have one friendly face to get through this.

Edwards washed his hands and put on a clean pair of gloves. He came over to the end of the bed for his initial examination of Joan but she lashed out at him with her foot. "Get away from me!"

"This is happening whether you want it to or not, and you're going to need my help! Do you want to die, Joan?"

"YES! Just kill me. _Please!"_ Edwards' mouth dropped open in shock at her screams, and he looked over at Dawn who was now trying to hold one of Joan's legs.

"Get your hands off me, you bitch!" Joan stared daggers at Dawn and tried to wrestle her leg out of the woman's grasp but her movements were cut short by the start of another contraction.

She squeezed Beth's hand and cried out, the sweat starting to run down her face. Beth ran her hand over the woman's hair, wishing she could do more to ease her pain.

Shepard rushed into the room to hold Joan's other leg still, only to be followed shortly after by Gorman, who stood in the doorway with a wide grin on his face. "Can I break out the cigars yet, Doc?" He slapped his leg with a loud laugh.

Dawn whipped her head around to face the male officer, pointing at him while she struggled to hold Joan down. "Get the hell out of here or so help me I will shoot you where you stand."

She turned her attention back to the bed, not bothering to watch the cocky grin slide from his face before he turned and disappeared.

Joan's head fell back on the pillow, breathing hard now and dreading the next set of contractions. Her words were spit out at Dawn in angry sobs. " _Why_ did you do this to me? WHY? No one deserves what you put us through here. You're not _human_." She breathed in sharply through her nose and exhaled, in a rage. "You're evil. What kind of a future are you building if it's based on this?"

Dawn look up at Joan, a flash of momentary doubt crossing her face as she attempted to justify the choices she had made. "It's so we make it. That's everything!"

Joan just moved her head from side to side on the pillow, tears dripping from her chin. Beth listened in disbelief to Dawn's pathetic reasoning. "It's not everythin', Dawn. Some things are more important than just survivin' and you know it. You just can't do this to people and pretend it's okay! And if makin' it's so damn important then where's your baby, huh? Where's Shepard's?" Both female officers looked at her, stunned at her outburst. "I guess it doesn't matter as long as you're not the ones payin' the price."

Edwards interrupted them all from where he still stood at the end of the bed. "Look, now is not the time for all this. She's dilated to 9 cm already." He looked up at Joan, bewildered at how far along she was. "Have you been having contractions all afternoon?"

Joan just ignored his question and stared up at the ceiling before suddenly hunching over as a new wave of pain rushed through her, a low moan escaping her lips as she suffered through it.

Beth's hand was starting to go numb but she held on, whispering in Joan's ear. "You can do this. Just a little bit more and it'll be over."

Another series of sobs came out as Joan started feeling the need to push, but screamed in agony, instead.

Edwards shouted at her to stop. "Something's wrong. There's too much blood." He lifted up Joan's gown and felt across her abdomen. She was in too much pain to care.

He dropped his head and sighed in frustration. "The baby is in a transverse lie." He caught Dawn's puzzled look. "It's positioned horizontally in the uterus, instead of vertically. She can't deliver the baby like this. I'll have to do a C-section."

"We don't have time to do a spinal. Beth, I'm going to need an IV set up for a general anesthetic. There should be a stand in Exam Room 2 and a fresh bag of saline in the cupboard. Dawn, I need a dose of either hydromorphone or midazolam, whatever we have in the cabinet."

Both women returned quickly and Edwards set up the drip, even though Joan weakly tried to protest.

When she was under, moments later, the doctor swabbed her abdomen with antiseptic and stood over her with scalpel in hand. He made a 6 inch vertical incision just above her pubic line, and again through the wall of the uterus. Finding the amniotic sac, the doctor opened it as well, and reached in with his gloved hand to scoop the baby out of her uterus.

Edwards' brow furrowed as he started pulling the child out. It was a boy, but instead of being a healthy screaming baby, it hung limp in his hands, the skin a frightening shade of blue. He suctioned the mucus out of the baby's nose and mouth, wrapped it in a towel, and handed him to Shepard to hold while he placed two clamps on the umbilical cord.

Edwards reached into the uterus again to remove the afterbirth and swore softly. "The placenta is almost completely detached from the uterus."

Still clasping Joan's hand, Beth looked at the doctor anxiously. "What does that mean?"

He grimaced as he lifted it out of the incision, seeing how a large portion of its surface showed signs of hemorrhaging. "It can be fatal if it happens before the baby's birth because the newborn doesn't get the oxygen or nutrients it needs. It would only take about five minutes without oxygen to cause irreparable damage."

He turned to Shepard, still holding the child, and put his stethoscope to the newborn's tiny chest to listen. Edwards closed his eyes and waited, but over the course of a minute only detected six faint heartbeats, and then nothing.

The doctor shook his head and took off his stethoscope to stare down at Joan's sleeping form. "Dead."

Dawn snapped at him. "Dead? What do you mean, dead? We've already lost one baby, and now you're telling me-"

Edwards faced his superior with disdain, cutting her off midsentence to yell back at her. "Do you know what one of the causes of placental abruption is, Dawn? _Abdominal_ trauma. _Physical_ trauma. Do you have _any_ idea how often Gorman raped and beat her? And you let it continue right through her pregnancy so you have no one but _yourself_ to blame for this."

Dawn listened to him go on, her face drawn in horror at first but then switching to a growing rage as he finished his rant.

She let his words sink in for a moment before striking Beth hard across the forehead, her ring leaving behind a deep gash to match the one on her cheek. Beth staggered back under the force of the blow as the officer aimed a cold stare at the doctor. Their gazes locked momentarily before Edwards swallowed and looked away.

Dawn left with the baby seconds later, Shepard in tow, while Beth stayed behind holding her forehead in shock. She pulled her hand away, seeing the fresh blood on her fingertips, and looked down at Joan.

Her baby was dead, and if her friend got her wish, she may be dead soon, too. Blood was still dripping steadily onto the bed between her legs, and if this was any indication of how the wards were treated here, then the other woman Joan mentioned, Susan, and her baby, had likely died because of the horrors in this place, too.

The more she lingered on it, the more outraged Beth became at what Dawn was allowing to happen here, until finally some sort of dark fury was boiling in her veins. Her heart was beating wildly and she felt a sudden warmth in her hands.

Beth looked at her palms and saw they were throwing off enough heat to distort the air around them, but strangely there was no pain. She just felt...strong. Like some new and unfamiliar power was flowing through her body, just begging to be unleashed.

Her breaths were coming deeper and more even now, like her body was prepping itself for a fight. Turning her head to look at the doorway Dawn had just walked out of, Beth imagined following the officer and beating the woman's face until it caved in, but almost immediately her rage switched over to fear at the idea of doing such a horrible thing.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror through the open bathroom door and barely recognized the person looking back at her. Beth took several deep breaths and tried to calm herself, closing her hands into fists and dropping them to her sides, confused over her violent thoughts.

She shook her head, blinking several times, and snapped back to reality to walk over and help Edwards finish doing what he could to stabilize Joan, not realizing that he'd been watching her reaction to Dawn's assault the entire time.

* * *

Beth sat in Edwards' office afterward, lost in her thoughts as he stitched up her new wound.

"That's it." He dropped the scissors into the tray next to the bloody swabs and stood. "Your other cut has been healing remarkably well. It won't be long until I can take out the stitches."

He walked over to the sink and placed the tray inside to start cleaning up, but paused as Beth spoke from her chair. "How long have you known? From the beginnin'?"

Edwards didn't turn around. He just straightened and stared at the wall in front of him in silence.

Beth's gaze never left his back. "You're a doctor. You're supposed to help people. Not stand by and let innocent women be treated like this."

He looked over his shoulder at her briefly and shifted his weight nervously. "You don't know what it's like here. How bad it is." Edwards turned around to face her. "Dawn _killed_ the guy that was in charge here at first. She's held a gun to my head more than a few times, threatening to either shoot me or throw me out."

Edwards gestured toward the window, his face stricken with panic. "I can't make it out there! I've got no choice. Being the only doctor here is the _one_ card I have to play, but who knows how long it will be until they come across another."

The doctor pushed up his glasses. "Until then, I'm not going to be a martyr and get myself killed trying to change things." He walked to the doorway, hands in his pockets.

Beth watched him with contempt from where she sat. He shot her another glance before leaving. "There's nothing we can do. This is still better than being out there."

As he walked away, her eyes fixated on the window, and she slowly curled her hands into fists.

 **Please take a minute and leave a comment. Thanks.**


	8. Chapter 8

Looking down at her blood spattered scrubs, Beth decided to go in search of cleaner clothes. Rounding the corner, she nearly bumped into a utility cart being pushed by the same young man she'd seen this morning.

She grabbed the cart to steady herself and apologize. "I'm sorry. I wasn't really lookin' where I was goin'."

He shook his head and looked down at her kindly. "S'ok. It's all good."

Beth managed a small smile in return, but couldn't shake the numbness she felt after the trauma of the past few hours. He leaned down a little to get her attention. "Are you ok?"

She sighed and tried to swallow her emotions, dropping her eyes to the floor. "No. I'm not. This place..." Her voice trailed off and she looked up to meet his gaze.

He leaned his elbows on the cart and nodded. "I wish I could say it gets better, but I've been here for a whole year and I know it doesn't." Rubbing his hand quickly over his short hair, he introduced himself. "I'm Noah."

"Beth." It was the first normal conversation she'd had here, and she felt the tension ease out of her shoulders a bit. She sighed and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, holding it out slightly to show him the stains. "Do you by any chance know where I can find some clean clothes?"

"Yeah, sure." Noah motioned with his thumb at the far end of the corridor. "First door on the left around that corner. I'll meet you there in a second to help you find the right size. Just have to empty the garbage cans in Dawn's office first or she'll pitch a fit."

Beth stifled a little smile and they went their separate ways. She'd just turned the corner when she saw Gorman approaching her. Deciding to stand her ground in the hallway rather than be trapped in a room with him, Beth planted her feet and faced him square on.

The officer pulled a toothpick out of his mouth and grinned when he saw her, slowing his pace until he stood directly in front of her. "Anythin' I can do for you, Beth?"

He reached out to try and brush some loose strands of hair behind her ear, but she ducked away from him. "Because I can think of a few things you can do for me." Gorman chuckled and winked at her, clearly enjoying himself.

Beth steeled herself, lifting her chin and glaring back at him. "That's not happenin'. I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be."

Without warning he snatched her ponytail in his left hand, twisting it and making her cry out. She was forced down awkwardly on one knee while the cop leaned over her. He gritted his teeth and whispered into her ear in a low growl. "There's some lessons you're gonna have to learn here, sweetheart. Might do you good to watch that smart mouth of yours for starters."

Ignoring the pain as he pulled at her hair, Beth looked up at his contorted face, seeing spittle dripping from the corner of his mouth. She angled her upper body toward him, her jaw clenched with anger. "I'm not your sweetheart," and drove the heel of her left hand upward into his nose with a sickening crunch.

Gorman let go of her hair and screamed, shuffling back and putting both hands to his face. "You bitch!" He was bent over, blood running between his fingers onto the floor.

Beth rose to her feet and stared at him, her words dripping with malice. "Touch me again and it'll be the last time you do."

The threat hung between them for a few seconds, the officer looking up at her over his blood soaked hands in disbelief, finally muttering under his breath, "Jesus Christ."

He turned heel and stalked up the hall toward the doctor's office in the next wing.

She exhaled a long breath, waiting to be sure he was really gone, before opening the door and stepping inside. Lifting her hand and finding a smear of Gorman's blood she made a noise of disgust and wiped it on her pant leg, moving further into the room. There were towels and scrubs neatly folded and stacked on several metal shelves, but instead of looking for clothes Beth started pacing back and forth, wondering how she was going to get out of this mess.

When the door jerked open behind her she whirled around and raise her hands in a defensive maneuver, but dropped them when she saw who it was.

Noah stopped short, seeing the fresh blood still on her hand, and closed the door quietly behind him. "What happened?"

"Gorman." Beth moved closer to him, pressing her hands together. "Do you want to get out of here with me?"

Noah stared at her blankly for a second, speechless, so she continued. "Haven't you ever wanted to leave?"

"Well, yeah, but I guess I'm just waiting for the right moment." He wondered if she was being serious.

"Well, you've been here a year, so I say there's no time like the present. Do you know a way out?" Beth clasped her hands together and waited for his response.

The young man considered her suggestion momentarily, his mind turning over the options. "The back entrance the cops use would be quickest if we could get the key." Noah scratched the side of his head, thinking. "I've seen Dawn with a big ring of spare keys in her office, but she's probably got them hidden. I bet one of them is the right one, but we'd have to try them all. I'll do my best to distract her if you want to look for them."

Beth nodded her head quickly, determined to do whatever it took to escape.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later she paused in the hallway with a mop and bucket, glancing up the corridor to see Dawn, and beside her, Noah holding an armload of fresh linens outside Joan's door.

The officer was looking in, giving him instructions. Beth watched as Noah seemed to shrug at something she said, making Dawn roll her eyes and step into the room reluctantly. Before following her inside, he glanced up the hall at his planned partner in escape and nodded slightly, giving her the okay to head to Dawn's office.

She abandoned her pail of dirty water and walked away quickly.

Beth came upon the dark office a minute later and, with one more glance around, she stepped inside and left the door slightly ajar. She walked over to a large filing cabinet and pulled out each drawer, finding only paperwork inside.

Deciding to try the desk, she drew out the top shallow drawer but it seemed to just contain odds and ends. Reaching down for the next, she yanked it out, getting excited at the clink of rattling metal she heard but only seeing more neatly arranged folders within. She rifled through them, glancing at the door, growing more anxious at the amount of time that had passed since she'd last seen Dawn.

Noah would only be able to distract her for so long.

Going quickly through the drawer from front to back, all she found was paper and more paper. Frustrated, Beth grabbed the handle and shook it, listening for the sound she'd heard and was rewarded with it again. She bent down and reached her hand in, feeling around the sides but coming up with nothing. Before pulling her arm out she groped blindly behind the drawer and finally latched her fingers around a cold cluster of keys hanging on a hook out of sight at the back.

Beth stood up, a smile growing on her face, but it fell when she saw who was watching her from the doorway.

Gorman stepped into the office and shut the door behind him, turning the deadbolt and locking it. A white bandage was taped over the crooked bridge of his nose, and there was an impressive black bruise forming under his right eye.

He reached over and turned the thin rod on the blinds slowly, closing them so no one could see into the office from the hallway.

"It's just you and me now, girlie." He spoke in a low voice as he started walking toward her. "Oh and you better believe you're gonna regret doin' this before we're through," pointing a finger at his battered face.

Beth stepped back and shrugged, putting her right hand on her hip, the keychain hooked on her thumb where he couldn't see it. "Not my fault you're a jackass."

The cop laughed darkly. "You know, there's two types of girls that get brought in here. Some of them are pretty easy to tame. They're so glad to have food and a roof over their head that they'll do pretty much anythin' we want."

With each step he took toward her she shuffled back alongside the window. Gorman stabbed his finger at her and continued.

"And then there's ungrateful bitches like YOU that fight the way things are here." His tongue darted out between his lips and he stooped down to look in Beth's eyes. "But I admit I do like a challenge. Makes things more...interestin' for me, I guess."

Beth felt her back bump up against a wall, bringing her to a halt. Her eyes never left Gorman's, except to note the steel vertical frame of the window only a couple feet to her right from where he now stood.

He was pressed up against her now, his hands on her hips.

She turned her face away from him, cringing as he murmured in her ear. "Half the fun's gonna be breakin' you. I bet it won't take long for me to get you pregnant, neither. Young thing like you, I bet you could crank out a whole _pile_ of babies for me, huh?"

He ran his nose up her neck. "That is, if I can keep the other guys off you. I guess it'd only be polite for me to share, but I'm tellin' you that O'Donnell is one twisted fucker. If you make it worth my while not to, I'll reconsider."

Gorman smirked down at her, grinding his erection into her stomach. "So, do we have a deal, Bethy?"

It was hearing him use her father's affectionate nickname for her that sparked a change inside Beth as sudden and unexpected as that first strike of lightening before a summer storm.

The same murderous rage she'd fought so hard to control earlier against Dawn returned in an instant, and it was a singular wave of emotion so strong and consuming that the air in her lungs gushed out quickly in response.

Her heart started to pound, not from fear, but in anticipation of the pain she wanted to cause this piece of filth standing in front of her. To make him pay for everything he'd ever done and was ever planning to do to the women here. The sudden heat and confidence coursing through her body made her feel like she could bench press a car if given the chance.

Beth turned her head to look the officer in the eye and nodded, flexing her arm in preparation for what was to come next.

Gorman laughed out loud at her response.

Beth smiled up at him sweetly, still staring into his eyes, and placed her left hand on the side of his head as though to caress his hair. Bracing herself against the wall, she stood up a bit straighter like she was about to give him a kiss, but instead whispered against his mouth. " _This is for Joan_."

In the split second that confusion registered on his face, Beth gave in to the hatred she felt for this man, allowing it to flow like liquid madness up her arm. The fingers of her left hand spread and locked into place, and, with gritted teeth, she drove his head toward the window frame with more force than she'd ever thought possible. The top of Gorman's skull cracked open with a loud pop, and he sagged gracelessly to the ground, dead.

She stepped around him in distaste, the keys still in her hand, and pulled the gun out of his holster. If she didn't damage his brain too bad then hopefully he would turn and be enough of a distraction for Noah and her to slip away.

Beth wasn't going to dwell on how she was able to do what she just did. Not now. Getting away from this place was more important.

She hurried out into the hallway to the first sounds of the officer reanimating in the room behind her, and tucked the weapon in the back of her waistband.

 **Oh, Gorman. I'd apologize for the crack in your skull but it would just be a lie.**  
 **Please leave a comment. I'd love to know your thoughts!**


	9. Chapter 9

Beth was working to slow down her breathing and walk more calmly as she approached Noah, Dawn and another male officer.

As she passed by them, she looked at Dawn. "Oh, Gorman asked me to let you know he needs you for somethin'. Said he'd be waitin' in your office."

Dawn's brow furrowed. "Did he say what it was about?"

She shrugged lightly. "He wouldn't tell me. Just said it was important."

The other woman nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

As the officers continued down the hall Beth looked at Noah and nodded, whispering. "Got it. Which way do we go?"

He jerked his head at the far end of the corridor and took her elbow. "This way. Come on, we're going to have to hurry. It won't take long for them to realize something's up."

Beth started sprinting but slowed when she noticed Noah was limping and having a hard time keeping up.

They turned a corner into an area of the hospital she'd never seen before, and he pointed to the doors of the stairwell that were locked. "There."

She bent over in front of the lock, fumbling with the keys. There were roughly a few dozen on the chain, but she skipped over the smaller kind and started trying the larger brass ones that looked to match the deadbolt.

Noah was watching the direction they had come from anxiously when they both started hearing the screams. Dawn and the other officer had found Gorman. Two shots were fired, then another moments later.

Beth was trying her fourth key when the lock clicked open. She held onto it in her right hand, hoping it would fit the other set of doors that Noah said was at the bottom.

Together they started descending the ten flights of stairs, going as fast as they could around each landing. Behind her, Noah was started to breathe hard, not used to much physical exertion. He held onto the railing, favoring his leg, and nearly stumbled once but caught himself in time.

They had just reached the second floor when they heard the door high above them bang against the wall, followed by loud footsteps on the stairs.

Beth started taking the steps two at a time. "Come on! Hurry!"

She came around the final turn, seeing the set of glass doors below.

Running down the last steps she saw the empty parking lot outside and dropped to her knees in front of the lock that was the one thing left between them and their freedom. Beth inserted the same key and tried to turn it, but the lock wouldn't budge. " _Oh, no_."

Noah reached the bottom and stood behind her, bending over to put his hands on his knees. After a few labored breaths he stepped forward to look through the glass, relieved that he couldn't see any rotters.

It had been almost a year since he'd had to survive out in that world, and he was definitely out of practice with defending himself against those things. As Beth kept working each key in the lock he walked back over and looked up the stairwell. The footsteps were getting closer, and he could see one hand sliding quickly down the railing. They were on the third floor now.

He rushed back over to the door. "Someone's coming, Beth. You've gotta hurry!"

"I'm tryin', but there's so many!" Her hands were starting to sweat and she grappled with the ring, holding up the next one. Saying a silent prayer, she shoved it into the deadbolt and it turned with ease. "Got it!"

They both pushed through just as an officer reached the bottom of the steps. Beth swung it shut behind her, looking in through the glass to see it was Shepard, and braced herself against the door.

The other woman threw her weight at it, trying to get out at them.

Beth's sneakers skidded on the asphalt in an effort to keep the door closed, and with her face pressed up to the glass she brought the key still held between her fingers around and inserted it in the deadbolt, locking it from the outside. Then, looking in at the officer, she pulled the gun out from her waistband and used the butt to snap the key off in the lock.

Shepard banged on the glass, furious, but Beth just turned around and started running after Noah, who was limping ahead and nearly to the outside fence now.

She was halfway across the parking lot, gun in hand, when she heard the glass breaking behind her.

A gunshot rang out, followed by a searing pain in her upper arm that jerked her body forward. Her legs buckled, and Beth looked down at her right sleeve, where there was now a small hole and blood spreading through the material. It started running down her arm as she tried to get up and keep going, but Licari caught up to her, striking the outside of her left leg with his baton.

Beth dropped to the pavement in agony and looked ahead at Noah. He was on the outside of the fence now, both hands hooked on the chain link, looking in at her. She shook her head and screamed at him. " _Run!"_

* * *

Beth was dragged back into the hospital like a dog that had run away from its owner. She knew this was going to be bad, but a bitter smile still lingered on her face thinking that it wouldn't be for nothing. Noah was free from this awful place now, and that victory was enough for her today.

With her hands cuffed behind her back, an officer on either side grabbed her upper arms and carried her between them up the stairs. She let her legs hang like dead weight to make it harder on them even though her shoulders screamed in protest. Licari and Shepard groaned in their efforts and Beth laughed inside, still on an adrenaline rush from her near escape, thinking that her shins would be an impressive shade of dark blue tomorrow as they hit nearly every step on the way back up to the fifth floor.

They carried her into Dawn's office where the female officer stood waiting, her face frozen in anger. Beth could see Gorman's bloody corpse behind her and the body of the male cop who was missing a large chunk of flesh where his jugular used to be. The blood was pooling on the floor around him, and he sported a fresh bullet hole in his forehead.

Dawn clenched her jaw and tilted her head slightly to glare into Beth's eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She glanced briefly at the two bodies on the floor. "You killed two of my officers, and now I've lost Noah. You've got no right-"

Beth returned the officer's scowl and spit out her response with a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I got that memo."

She nodded at Dawn's head, whose eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. "I don't know what's goin' on in there that you think _anythin'_ about this place is even remotely okay." Her hands were still cuffed but she leaned forward earnestly, trying to appeal to the woman's rational side. "I know you must have been a good person at one time, a good cop. You wanted to help people, right? This place CAN do good, but not this way." Beth's head shook back and forth, her eyes begging the officer to see reason. "Not this way."

A deeper anger fleeted across Dawn's face as she contemplated Beth's outburst, and then it smoothed out into a kind of condescending detachment toward the young woman before her. She glanced down briefly and then swung her arm around, landing a solid right hook to Beth's cheek, who stumbled back against the wall.

The officer worked her rage out on the other woman for her defiance with several more punches to the face until she slid down the wall, unconscious. Dawn finally fell back against her desk, breathing hard and yelled for one of the officers outside to come in.

"Get her out of my sight. Edwards can deal with her now." As Beth was dragged out of the room, Dawn held her bruised hand to her chest, and stared in silence at the bodies lying on the floor of her office.

* * *

Beth jerked awake some time later, her arms lashing out at the person prodding the wound on her right arm.

She tried to sit up and shift away from them but groaned at the pain the movement cost her. Looking around and realizing she was on the bed in her room again, she saw the doctor sitting on a chair beside her, his palms raised in front of him with apprehension.

He looked at the needle and thread hanging from her arm where he'd begun suturing the wound. "You're lucky the bullet went through without hitting the bone. It shouldn't take long to heal."

The sleeve of her scrubs had been cut off, and she examined the hole that was barely weeping any blood, starting to reach over with her left fingers to touch it but Edwards stopped her.

"Don't. I just swabbed it with alcohol and I need to finish stitching it or infection could set in." He dragged his chair closer and nodded at her arm. "May I?"

Beth hesitated, piercing the doctor with a withering stare that made him gulp nervously before she settled back onto the bed, resigned to accepting the medical attention.

As he kept working on her arm, she couldn't ignore the aching in her legs any longer and lifted her left one up, pulling the pant leg back to see.

Her knee was slightly swollen, a red welt on the outside where Licari's baton had struck, and her shin was covered in deep shades of blue and purple. Edwards glanced up to see what she was doing.

"Believe it or not, that actually looks much better than it did a couple hours ago. Have you always been such a quick healer?" He peered up at her over the top of his glasses, curious.

She stared up at the ceiling before answering. "It's kind of hard to say." Moving her head over to look him in the eye. "I've never been beaten or shot before."

He held her gaze for a moment before nodding and turning his attention back to the needle in his hand, tying off a knot and trimming the excess thread with surgical scissors. "I have to do the back of your arm now. Turn over onto your left side and just let your arm rest against your ribs."

Beth rearranged herself slowly to comply, wincing as her left knee pressed against the mattress.

She grimaced at the cold sting of the alcohol as he cleaned the area and closed her eyes, trying not to think of the painful tugging as he began sewing the entry wound shut. It was over in less than a minute, and Edwards wrapped several layers of fresh gauze around her arm. Taping the bandage off, he stood up with his small tray in hand, walking around to the end of the bed and motioned toward the table in the corner. "There's a clean set of scrubs there for you. Do you need help getting into them?"

She sat up with effort and shook her head vehemently. "I can manage just fine."

He closed the door behind him, and she hissed in pain as she swung her legs around and put her socked feet on the cold floor. Beth pushed herself up from the bed and took a few aching steps toward the window.

It was dark out now, her first day at the hospital almost over. Thinking back over the last twelve hours she looked out into the night, wondering how much worse it was going to get here, and knowing that whenever she did escape she wouldn't be the same person she was before.

Reaching over for the clean clothes with a tired sigh, Beth carried them back over to the bed, keeping her eye on the door the entire time.

She got her pants on fairly quickly, although her one knee was a little stiff, but when it came to pulling the shirt over her head she grimaced as she pushed her right hand through the armhole. Slipping her sneakers back on, she stepped into the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

The gash on her left cheek was reopened from Dawn's punches, and her lower lip had a split in it that was crusted with dried blood.

She leaned across the sink for a closer look at the other side of her face. Her very first black eye. Beth touched it gently with her finger, thinking that Daryl would be proud if he saw it, and felt the familiar pang of grief at the thought of him.

Leaning both hands on the sink and dropping her head, she gave in to the sudden feeling of hopelessness. The tears fell unchecked as she broke down, aching inside from how much she missed him, and Maggie and Glenn, Judith, everyone. Her Dad.

Beth looked up at her reflection again, knowing if he were here that he'd tell her not to give up. She nodded to herself and wiped away the tears before striding over and opening her door.

There was barely any light illuminating the corridor, just the glow of a lamp shining through a doorway further up the hall. Edwards stood outside it with his hands in his pockets, laughing quietly with whoever was in the room.

Beth just leaned her good shoulder against the wall and watched him in silence, her mind scrambling to come up with another plan. Her thoughts were interrupted, though, as the doctor turned to look up the hall at two officers wheeling in someone new.

She waited as they rolled the gurney up toward her, and as they passed she looked down at an unconscious woman in torn and bloody clothing. Beth struggled to withhold any signs of recognition or worry as they wheeled the new patient into the room next to hers.

It was Carol.

 **Ah, Grady Memorial Hospital. It's like Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.*cue guitar solo***  
 **Please leave a comment. It will give you a peaceful easy feeling, and I know you won't let me down.**  
 **I am so sorry. My dork is showing.**


	10. Chapter 10

On her second morning at the hospital, Beth awoke with a start, hearing a crash and then something rolling across the floor.

It was early, 5:21 am by the clock; the sun hadn't risen yet, and she was breathing hard, having woken up in the middle of a nightmare.

She had been running frantically through the dark corridors of the funeral home, unable to find the window that Daryl had yelled for her to escape through. All of them were boarded up, and she scratched and tugged at the wood, one window after another, as walkers stumbled behind her.

Where was Daryl? Beth screamed out his name as she ran, cringing at the fingernails clawing across the back of her sweater. She sprinted along the main hallway again until the sound of slow footsteps coming up from the basement stopped her.

Skidding to a halt, she braced her hands on either side of the door frame, panting from fear and exertion. The walkers behind her were forgotten, but strangely they had vanished anyway. The only sound in the house now was her labored breathing and the sluggish uneven steps coming up the basement stairs.

"Daryl? Is that you?" It was dark down the stairwell, but she could make out the person's ragged breaths as they came around the last corner on the landing. The figure looked up at her through the shaggy hair falling in its eyes, eyes that moments ago had been filled with such warmth, but now were blank and clouded over.

"Daryl? Are you-," until she looked down and saw the large bite at the nape of his neck. He growled at her and started lunging up the steps, snapping his jaws and tripping over himself to get to her.

Beth screamed and backed into something hard, shaking her head. "Nooooooooo! Not you. No, Daryl-," tears streaming down her face as she sagged to the floor. The hardwood felt cool against her palms as she waited for him to reach her, not caring anymore.

Maybe it's better this way, she thought.

Her heart should have been beating out of her chest in fright as he fell down beside her and grabbed her right arm, but a feeling of calm came over Beth in that moment. She watched as the man who had gotten inside her heart opened his mouth wide and bit down on her wrist. The pain didn't register with Beth. Her only thought was to caress his hair with her other hand as he devoured her flesh.

Beth sat up in bed quickly, shaking off the last remnants of her dream, and tried to identify the noise in the room.

She leaned over the side of her bed to see a pencil rolling across the floor toward her. Puzzled, she reached down and picked it up.

Beth gasped and shot out of bed. Gorman. He wouldn't be in her room, surely? She thought back to the traumatic events of yesterday. No, he was dead.

She scanned the space for signs of anyone else, even looking behind the door in the bathroom but finding it empty, and breathed a sigh of relief. It must be something else.

Turning to survey the sparse room again, Beth didn't know why she hadn't noticed it before. The small table and chair were both laying haphazard, on the floor, as though someone had had a tantrum and struck them over.

Remembering that she'd left the pencil on the table last night after filling out some charts for the doctor, she looked at it again in her hand. Who had been in her room? She strode over and checked the handle on her door to find it was still locked just like Dawn had ordered.

She walked back slowly and sat on the edge of her bed, still examining the pencil, before tossing it on the floor a few feet away from her where it came to rest.

As Beth brought her right arm down it dawned on her that she should be feeling pain. Last night, she'd barely had any comfortable range of motion with it, and wasn't surprised. Back in junior high, she'd torn a leg muscle during gym class and remembered how painful it was. It had taken nearly five weeks to heal back then, and she'd worried this new injury might hinder her next attempt to escape.

Beth swung her arm around, testing it, and was amazed at how quickly it was healing.

On a hunch, she leaned over and pulled up both pant legs for a look at her shins. The dark bruises had already faded to a pale yellow color, and her left knee was completely back to normal...no swelling or mark left to see. There was no understanding it, but she certainly wasn't going to mention it to Edwards.

Focusing on the pencil again, a memory came back to her of watching a movie with Shawn when she was younger.

He'd been so into Star Wars. It was all her brother could talk about, and she thought he was pretty silly, going on about midichlorions or whatever they were called. Beth had caught him pretending to be a Jedi on more than a few occasions, holding his hand out and trying to make something move with just his mind. She'd ducked out of the room each time, holding a hand over her mouth to contain the laughter.

Sitting on the bed now, she smiled at the memory, and shrugged a shoulder. If only to feel close to her brother again, she would try to move that stupid pencil. The other residents here would likely soon be up, but she wasn't ready to be around them yet. A few more moments alone with her thoughts would be nice before she checked in on Carol, even if it was to attempt something so foolish.

Beth planted a hand on either side of her legs and scooted back a bit before turning her attention to the pencil. She leaned forward and stared at it, taking in the worn tip in need of sharpening, the slightly dented orange surface, and the almost nonexistent eraser at the end.

The more she fixated on it, the more she actually felt...connected to the shape and surface of it, like she could sense it with her mind. Taking in a deep breath, Beth directed all of her will at the small object, imagining it rolling away from her, and the thought hadn't even finished crossing her mind when the pencil travelled across the floor and bounced off the baseboard beneath the window.

Her eyes widened, and she froze.

Beth squeezed her lids shut and opened them again to find the pencil just coming to rest across the room. She narrowed her eyes in concentration again and pictured it rolling back toward her, and watched as it immediately skittered across the floor to land at her feet.

This can't be real, she thought. Maybe she was still dreaming.

She reached up with her left hand and pinched her other arm hard. No, this didn't feel like a dream, but how was there any other explanation?

Her eyes travelled from the resulting red mark on her arm to the white cast on her wrist. Was her wrist actually fractured?

She flexed her fingers open and shut but her wrist didn't hurt, yet there was still some kind of residual burn there, hidden by all the layers of gauze.

Beth brushed her fingers lightly where the four cotton swabs had been taped yesterday. It wasn't a typical bandage, but something a nurse would tape to your arm after you gave blood. What were those from? She already had an IV in her left arm for fluids when she first came to.

What else did they do to her while she was unconscious?

Shaking her head again, and more for the sake of curiosity than anything else, she directed her gaze to the chair still laying on its back.

It was a heavy wooden one like the kind she used to sit on in elementary school.

Standing up now, still a few feet away from it, she stared at the object and converged all of her thought into wanting the chair to rise up and sit properly on the floor again, and it tilted up and came to rest on its feet with a gentle thud.

" _Holy shit_ ," she whispered, caught somewhere between fear and exhilaration.

Beth walked over to the window, looking at the same dead bodies lying on the roof across from her, maybe a hundred feet away.

Saying an internal apology to the people they had once been, she concentrated on the one closest to her. It looked like a man, laying awkwardly on his side facing away from her, almost in the recovery position she had learned in First Aid years ago.

She leaned her head against the cool window, honing in on the faded material covering his right arm and imagined pulling it toward her. The body rolled over onto its back, the arm flopping out to the side before coming to rest again, motionless.

Beth gasped, her breath fogging the glass slightly, before checking the roof for any other items she could practice on. There were two white buckets in one of the corners, a dark rag draped over the edge of one that she pulled out and tossed to the side with relative ease.

Resting her hands on the window sill, she considered an idea briefly, and then looked back at one of the buckets. Zeroing in on the object, she envisioned it floating above the surface it rested on, and watched in satisfaction as it rose and hung in the air. The white pail moved back and forth at her command until, on a whim, Beth decided to toss it over the edge of the building. It disappeared from sight, the sound of it clattering on the street below seconds later just barely audible from her room.

Beth froze momentarily, realizing that was a pretty stupid thing to do.

What if someone else looking out another window in the hospital saw that happen? Or even if they didn't, it was bound to be noticed that the bucket was missing from the roof.

She shook her head, realizing that whatever it was that was happening to her was best kept to herself. She would need to be more careful.

Walking back over to the bed, she pulled a leg up and sat down on the edge of the mattress.

The clock read 5:58 now, and Beth noticed the table was still lying on its side over by the window. She righted it from where she sat with almost minimal effort now, not hearing the key turning in the door behind her.

Edwards stepped into the room just as the table was coming to rest on its feet. The doctor averted his eyes from the movement he just witnessed in the corner and looked at Beth sitting on the bed.

She turned quickly toward him, appearing startled, and he watched as her cheeks flushed red.

Edwards came to a halt, and a few seconds of silence passed between them before he cleared his throat nervously. "Good morning."

Beth returned his greeting with a curt nod, wondering if he'd seen anything as he came in her room.

The doctor just shoved his hands in his pockets and jerked his head toward the door. "Why don't you go grab something for breakfast and then get started on your cleaning."

He didn't wait for an answer, but turned around and started walking toward his office, his mind on overdrive trying to figure out what he had just seen.

 **Alright, show of hands. Who hasn't tried to move something with their mind before?**  
 ***keeps hand down, scans room with eyebrow raised***  
 **I do it every time I grocery shop. I swear, if I'm ever actually successful in pushing slow people out of my way with just my mind I'll probably shit myself. Clean up on aisle two.**  
 **Please leave a comment. It's almost as fun as being able to move crap around with your thoughts.**


	11. Chapter 11

Edwards sat at his desk, head in his hands, thinking about what he had just seen. How was it even possible?

Beth was clear across the room from that table. There was no earthly explanation for how it could have moved on its own, but as he puzzled over it, a feeling of deja vu came over him. There had been a few other strange happenings since yesterday morning, now that he thought about it.

The first was when he came out into the hallway, where Beth was waiting for him with the body of that young boy, to see that one of the doors further along the corridor had mysteriously slammed shut on its own. No one else had been around that he saw. Edwards remembered how shaken Beth had seemed at the time, but he didn't know at the time if it was connected in any way.

The second was likely just a coincidence, but he overheard one of the girls in the cafeteria laughing quietly with another ward about seeing Gorman harassing Beth yesterday and how he threw a fit when his pen burst ink all over him afterward.

The other incident was just after Dawn had slapped Beth for the first time.

He had been starting to tend quietly to Joan after the officer's outburst, but something drew his attention to Beth. He didn't know what it was, but the air in the room felt like it had become charged with electricity.

He'd glanced over at the young woman to find her staring at her hands, but something else about her didn't seem right. Looking closer, he realized it was the air around her. It was shimmering like heat waves above the pavement on a hot day.

If that wasn't disturbing enough, then the look of sheer animosity that spread over Beth's face actually made him cringe back slightly in fear. It was true, he didn't know her very well, but he'd gotten pretty good at reading people over the past year in the interest of self-preservation. He had never come across someone so transparently kind and unassuming before, which was why the brief glimpse of her obvious rage startled him.

And then there was the mess left in Dawn's office after Beth stole the keys and tried to escape with Noah.

He had been called to bring a gurney in and start carrying the bodies to the elevator shaft for disposal, but upon entering the room he stopped short at Gorman's appearance. The top of the man's skull was cracked and buckled upward, and he had just stared at it until one of the other officers inquired about what was wrong.

He'd pointed at Gorman's head and asked how that happened and the cop had just shrugged, said he must have fallen and hit it when he was attacked. Edwards recalled looking at them and wondering if they'd failed high school biology.

Out of curiosity, he went back to his office afterward and flipped through one of his anatomy reference manuals, finding that it takes a force of at least 520 lbs to fracture a human skull.

The common denominator in all these odd events was Beth, but how could it be? She was just an ordinary young woman.

Yes, it was extraordinary that someone who'd been bitten could appear as healthy as she seemed now. After all, her rate of healing was nothing short of remarkable. In fact, Edwards thought back to that first slash on her cheek that he stitched up the night she came in, a mere 32 hours ago. It was healed to the point that he should really have removed the stitching by now, but just hadn't got to it yet.

Come to think of it, the bruising that was all over her cheeks from the beating Dawn gave her yesterday was completely gone today. Why had he only just realized it?

For someone to heal that quickly, their immune system would have to be accelerated beyond comprehension. He wished he had the equipment to study her white blood cell count, not to mention the fibroblast growth factor in her tissues that determine the speed at which wounds heal.

The science of it was almost enough to take his mind off his worry over the other symptoms he'd witnessed, but couldn't explain.

Edwards decided to go into Beth's room and have a quick look around while she was at breakfast.

Moments later he walked in, hands in his pockets, feeling a bit embarrassed and hoping Dawn wouldn't pass by and ask him what he was doing. He went over to the small desk and judged it to be about 15 feet from the bed where she had been sitting.

The doctor pulled it away from the wall, which took quite a bit of force, and noted how much noise it made dragging on the tiles. Even if she had been strong enough to push it across the floor from where she sat and have it slide it perfectly against the wall, it would have made enough of a racket for him to hear even before opening the door.

He pushed it back against the wall with a frustrated sigh and stepped to the window. He had spent a lot of time in these rooms, looking out at a world that he wasn't really a part of anymore.

As his gaze moved over the top of the adjacent building, some subtle changes caught his eye. One of the bodies that had been laying on its side for more than a solid year was now on its back.

Why would anyone risk there life entering a rotter infested building to go up to the roof and push a dead corpse into a different position? The Grady cops had already checked them ages ago for weapons. There was nothing of use to anyone on that rooftop.

Edwards' eyes were drawn to the one remaining bucket where there used to be two, and he shook his head in confusion. This was making absolutely no sense, but then it occurred to him that this same view would also have been Beth's, at least a couple of times since she'd awoken.

If she really _had_ developed the ability to move things with her mind, as crazy as it sounded, then she could have knocked one of the pails over the edge and possibly moved the body from here.

He almost laughed out loud, wondering if this was one of the first signs of oncoming insanity, and took a deep breath.

The question was if he, as a scientist, actually believed that telekinesis was a possibility. If the treatment she'd undergone here had somehow affected her biology then it was up to him to figure it out, which meant he couldn't rule out any hypothesis.

Thinking back to his molecular biology courses, he knew that as of the end of the world, approximately 98% of human DNA had no known function ascribed to it. So he supposed it wasn't unbelievable that where he knew so little about the DNA sequencing of the virus itself, lowering its pH may have caused its DNA to somehow have an effect on her own.

He closed his eyes for a moment and debated whether or not he should tell Dawn about any of this. She had already told him last night that she wanted to be updated on Beth's condition and if the treatment he gave her could be used again on someone else.

Officer Lerner was a very practical, no nonsense person though, and Edwards wasn't sure how well she would receive his suspicions. Honesty was rarely the best policy around here, but if even part of his conjecture turned out to be real then he should probably give Dawn forewarning and save face if another incident occurred and someone got hurt.

With his mind made up, he headed out into the corridor to find her.

* * *

Beth moved the mop back and forth across the floor in the hallway outside Carol's room. Dawn and Officer O'Donnell were inside talking quietly, but she couldn't hear what they were saying over the sound of the ventilator that was helping her friend breathe.

She rolled her bucket in to the foot of the bed, hoping to overhear something, but Dawn's radio transmitter squawked to life. It sounded like Shepard but Beth couldn't make it out. Something about a gunshot.

Dawn pressed the button to reply. "Get Lamson and go track it down."

"Yes, ma'am."

Edwards appeared in the doorway, glancing at Beth before spotting the officers and clearing his throat to get their attention. "Dawn, I need to speak with you."

She watched Dawn walk away with the doctor, and then sank her mop into the water, pretending like she was going to clean the floor. O'Donnell started to walk past her but stopped and leaned in to speak with a low menacing voice in Beth's ear. "I know you killed Gorman."

She flinched briefly but then chose to ignore him, and kept swishing the mop head up and down in the bucket as he went on.

"He was a good man. He saved your life, and that's how you repay him? Let me make one thing perfectly clear, you little whore. You are _nothing_ here. Nobody is going to save you now. And when my shift ends in an hour we're going to continue this conversation in private and I'll get to decide what your punishment will be."

O'Donnell slid the tips of two fingers along her jawline. "You're going to be in a lot of pain, and I want you to understand that it's nobody's fault but your own."

He left without another word, and Beth walked over to the bedside slowly, taking her friend's hand and willing her to wake up.

She stayed there a moment before walking over to the wall and sliding down to the floor, her mind racing with the hopelessness of the situation.

How was she going to get them both out of here? Carol was in a coma, and Beth didn't know if she'd even survive being moved, but she couldn't just leave her, and staying was too dangerous for them both.

Drawing her knees up to her chest, Beth folded her arms and leaned her head against them. There was only one solution she could think of, but she didn't know if she was even capable of doing it, or if she could live with herself afterward.

* * *

Edwards followed Dawn into her office, feeling anxious about how the conversation would play out. The officer sat down behind her desk and looked across as he perched nervously on the edge of his seat.

"So, what is it?" She folded her hands in front of her and waited.

The doctor cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, agonizing over how to word what he needed to say. "It's about Beth."

Dawn nodded. "I'd say congratulations are in order, Doctor. As headstrong as she is I'd say Beth seems to have responded very well to the treatment."

He picked at a loose thread hanging off one of the buttons of his white coat. "Well, yes and no."

Her controlled gaze changed to one of bewilderment. "What do you mean? She seems fine to me. If anything, healthier than any of the other wards here."

Edwards shook his head in disagreement. "No, no. She's doing well that way. Her vitals are perfectly normal except for still having a slightly elevated body temperature. It's...something else."

Dawn raised her eyebrows, waiting impatiently and motioning with her hand for him to go on. "Well?" He just looked at her and sighed. "For Christ's sake, just spit it out, Edwards."

He rubbed his hands back and forth across the top of his legs and continued on in a jumble of words. "I think that the treatment somehow caused the DNA in the virus to alter or bond with Beth's DNA and now it appears she has telekinetic abilities, at the very least. I...I mean, she could be capable of more than that, I don't know. I just know what I've seen so far. I think I've witnessed her move a couple things, and one time the air looked funny around her, like heat waves. I think she has accelerated healing now, as well. I'd have to study her to know more, but I thought you should know because she could be dangerous." He swallowed nervously. "That's...that's it."

There was a long pause before Dawn responded quietly. "You're telling me that Beth has powers," using her fingers to do air quotes around the word," and is now dangerous?"

"Yes. I mean, a door shut in the hallway the first day she was here, and I thought I saw the table in her room move when I went in to get her this morning." He gestured excitedly, remembering something else. "Oh, and one of the rotters on top of the building outside her room was moved and there was also a bucket missing from the roof."

The doctor tapped his finger on the arm of his chair as he finished. "I don't understand it yet, really, but I think in time I might be able to. It's very compelling, the thought of being able to change our own DNA but I wouldn't recommend doing the same treatment on any more wards until I can investigate further. It would be too risky."

Dawn got up out of her chair and slowly walked around in front of Edwards, never taking her eyes of him. She folded her arms and sat on the edge of her desk, making him move further back into his chair in response. "Are you losing it, Doctor?"

He sat up straighter in his seat, and snapped back at her. "What? No, I'm not losing it. I'm just giving you the information you requested, and as crazy as some of it sounds, don't say I didn't warn you if someone gets hurt."

Edwards got up and headed for the door, having said his piece.

Before he opened it, Dawn's next words reached him. "I don't know what's going on with you, Edwards, but if you're starting to crack under the weight of your responsibilities then I'll have no choice but to replace you as soon as an opportunity arises. You just dug your grave a little deeper."

The doctor opened the door and stepped into the hall, but not before turning around to look her in the eye. "Don't kid yourself, Dawn. We've all been digging our graves deeper since this started."

 **Edwards, honey, you need to work on your delivery. That was tres week, man. No wonder Dawn didn't believe you.**  
 **Please leave a comment. I get deliriously happy when I see a new one pop up.**


	12. Chapter 12

Edwards found Beth sitting on the floor in Carol's room shortly after his disastrous meeting with Dawn.

He paused when he saw her, his gaze moving to the figure on the bed. "Do you know her?"

She just stared ahead, her face blank. "If I say yes are you gonna turn off the machines?"

The doctor exhaled and pulled the end of the stethoscope down from around his neck, approaching his new patient. "I know you think I'm a monster, Beth, but I'm not the one who makes those calls."

She kept her eyes trained on the wall. "You say that but it doesn't make any difference if you're still the one lettin' people die."

Beth pushed herself off the floor and walked over, standing across the bed from him and taking her friend's hand in hers.

Edwards saw the gesture. "What's her name?"

Beth looked down at the familiar face. It was hard to reconcile the frail person before her with the strong woman she knew. "Carol. Her name is Carol."

He recognized the affection in Beth's voice, and wished he had better news to tell her. "Is she family?"

Beth nodded quietly, her eyes never leaving her friend. "Is she gonna be alright?"

Edwards didn't answer, but put the earbuds of his stethoscope in and started listening to the patient's heart, then moved it lower over her abdomen where the skin was covered in angry looking purple splotches. He glanced up at the heart monitor, noting her pulse had dropped from the mid-60s when she'd been admitted last night to the low-30s. It was as he suspected.

Beth watched his every move anxiously, and asked again. "Well?"

He met her gaze across the bed and replied gently. "Beth, look at her. She has a broken clavicle, broken ribs and severe internal bleeding. Her organs are shutting down and her pulse is dropping by the minute."

He nodded at the monitor, where it now showed a heart rate of 27. Carol's breaths were becoming shallower. Edwards gestured to how distended the woman's stomach was, trying to convince Beth of the severity of the injuries. "Your friend's abdominal cavity is filling up with blood and her heart is failing from the drop in blood pressure. I know you don't trust me but please believe me when I say I wish I could save her."

As he pleaded with the younger woman to understand, Carol's heart finally gave out.

The only sound in the room now was the ventilator, and the doctor shut it off.

Beth's shoulders slumped over in despair, and she looked up at him through fresh tears, her chin trembling. "But this is a _hospital_! If you can't save people then what's the point in bringin' them here?"

Edwards shook his head sadly, truly at a loss for words. He walked over to the counter and returned with a knife and a weary expression on his face. As he plunged the blade into his patient's temple, Beth closed her eyes and looked away.

What a cruel coincidence, she thought, to be reunited with a member of her family and then not be able to save them. Overwhelming guilt brought on a new wave of tears, and she leaned over to place a kiss on Carol's forehead, choking on her words. "I'm so sorry."

The doctor turned from the bed and rubbed a hand over his forehead. "It's just, if they hadn't hit her so hard with the car then I might have been able to help her."

Beth's head was bowed in grief when his last words registered. She looked at Edwards and wiped a hand across her eyes, bewildered. "What do you mean she was hit by a car? Who hit her?"

He glanced over at her with a guilty look and dropped his gaze to the floor. "The cops here. That's what they do sometimes to capture people." He shrugged his shoulder and grimaced. "It's barbaric, but that's what happens."

She moved over to the end of the bed, incensed at this new revelation, and lifted her cast. "Is that how I got _this_?"

Her question caught Edwards off guard, and he froze for a second before answering in a quiet voice. "No." He chewed on his lip briefly before deciding to say more. "It's not a wrist fracture. You were bitten."

Beth's emotions swung from anger to confusion at his response. "I wasn't bitten." She scoffed at the idea, thinking back to her last memory that night. "I'd remember if I was. Someone hit me over the head from behind and I blacked out."

The doctor leaned up against the wall and processed what she said. It didn't make any sense...he saw the bite on the inside of her wrist when Gorman and his partner brought her in, but then a horrible thought occurred to him. "Oh my god." He brought a hand up and covered his eyes, not wanting to believe it.

She was getting worried waiting for him to explain.

Edwards dropped his hand and regarded the young woman before him with a tired sigh, wondering where to begin. "I was working at the CDC, studying infectious diseases when the city fell. It was only luck that I wound up here, but when Dawn took over she soon discovered my real area of expertise and has been pushing and threatening me ever since to find a cure for this plague."

He glanced at Beth. "I did develop a theory after some time. It wasn't a cure. More of an experimental treatment for a bite, but I kept it to myself because I didn't want Dawn subjecting the wards to tests. But she came to suspect, I think, and knew I wouldn't risk a patient's life unless she had one brought in that was already bitten." He shook his head and pounded his fist against the wall behind him wondering why he hadn't guessed it sooner.

Beth stepped forward, still confused as to how his story related to her. "I wasn't bitten by a walker, though. I don't get it."

Edwards pushed himself away from the wall, feeling sick. "No, you wouldn't. But I've come to know Dawn very well, and I can see her giving the order for her officers to find someone out there who was relatively healthy and then purposely inflict a bite to force my hand."

She suddenly felt nauseous and held on to the edge of the door. "No. No one would do that."

His expression was apologetic as he looked down at her. "You've only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Dawn will do. I'm afraid there's no moral boundary she won't cross if it serves to further her vision."

Beth lifted her cast, thinking back to this morning in her room. She spoke in a whisper, almost afraid to ask the question. "What did you do to me, then?"

Edwards rubbed his ear and shrugged lightly. "It really wasn't complicated. I just copied a procedure that was commonly used to deactivate viruses in donated blood. Yours was run through a dialysis machine with a pH filter to lower the infection spiking through your system after the bite.

"My one worry was not being familiar enough with the makeup of this particular virus, and how its DNA would react to that kind of manipulation inside a live person. I must say, you responded very well to it physically, though. It seems to have brought you back to perfect health."

He eyed her cautiously, hesitating before continuing in a soft voice. "But it did more than just that, didn't it?"

Beth was still holding on to the door, trying to process everything the doctor had just told her. She turned her head slowly and looked into his eyes, unsure if she should reveal anything.

Nodding his head reassuringly, Edwards tried to coax the truth out of her. "It's okay. I saw the table move in your room this morning, and I don't think you realized it yesterday, but it was you that made that door slam shut in the hallway. I remember you were upset. Things seem to happen when you experience any intense emotion, am I right?"

She still didn't say anything, so he continued. "And Gorman." The doctor watched her flinch at the name. "You didn't just kill him. You pretty much pulverized the man's skull."

Beth folded her arms defensively, but Edwards just threw up his hands like it didn't bother him. "Hey, I've got no problem with it, really. The guy got what he deserved."

She swallowed thickly and tilted her chin up. "So you're the reason I'm a freak now?"

Edwards shook his head and took a step closer. "No, Beth. You couldn't be further from it. The fact that the treatment saved your life is amazing, but that it's given you these abilities is nothing short of a miracle. It's very exciting."

"Excitin'?" She huffed out impatiently, hardly believing what she was hearing. "What's so excitin' about it?"

"You don't get it." He put a hand on her arm and locked eyes with her. "This is so much more important than the stupid breeding program Dawn's got going here."

He looked around him and laughed, his voice starting to shake with anticipation. "Your response to the treatment could very well be the first step to saving the human race from annihilation. I'll need to start a comprehensive series of tests on you to begin understanding if there's something specific about your DNA that made this work. It could take quite a while, so the sooner we get started the better."

Beth ripped her arm out of his grasp, her features twisted in anger. "I'm not stayin' here." She eyed him warily and took a step away from him.

The doctor clenched his jaw and cocked his head at her defiance. "Don't you understand how important this is? Your genetic makeup could save a lot of lives, so I'm afraid that trumps your personal rights. From where I'm standing, you're stuck here whether you want to be or not, and if you need to be strapped to a bed to make it happen then so be it."

He moved forward quickly and grabbed her right arm from behind as she spun away. She winced as he tightened his grip, feeling the familiar heat growing inside her again at this new threat.

As they struggled, Beth glanced up over her left shoulder, seeing Edwards' face bristling with indignation. The man gave no indication he was going to back down, but she growled a warning at him anyway. One last chance. "Let go of me."

It made no difference, and Beth's sneakers squeaked on the floor as she lunged forward, loosening his arm that was wrapped around the front of her waist from behind. She bent her left arm and swung her elbow back in a wide arc, connecting solidly with his neck.

Edwards staggered back, his mouth gaping as he fought to breathe through his crushed windpipe. She turned and watched as the doctor dropped to his knees, eyes wide and clutching his throat as he looked up at her in disbelief.

Beth took a single step toward him and he toppled backward, fearfully kicking his legs against the floor to put some distance between them. Her chest was heaving with anger as she glared down at him. "I told you to let go of me."

His jaw opened and closed like he was trying to say something, but the air wheezing through the hole in his trachea prevented any last words. The man's face was blue as he collapsed against the wall, head tilted to the side and eyes staring ahead unseeing.

Beth reached down and held two fingers against his neck to be sure he was dead and felt no pulse. Knowing there wasn't much time before he turned, she moved to the doorway and looked up and down the corridor to check it was clear.

Satisfied, she grabbed the shoulders of his white coat and pulled him through the door and into the next room. The shades were drawn, and she dragged the body through the dim light around to the other side of the bed. Her mind was racing with what to do next as she turned and headed for the door, but stopped short when she saw O'Donnell walk in.

A grin that was devoid of any humor spread across his face. He seemed to relish his luck at finding her alone in a dark room before reaching around and slowly pulling the nightstick out of its holster on his belt. "I think you're gonna be my new favorite toy from now on. You just need a little breaking in, first."

Beth's calm expression belied the fact that barely controlled rage was seething underneath the surface, poised to strike out at anyone who now challenged her freedom from this place. She watched as he raised the baton up, preparing to strike, and focused the entirety of her will over the man's body.

His expression changed from bewilderment to panic as he froze in the odd position, unable to move. Standing in front of the officer, Beth closed her fists, breathing in deeply through her nose and exhaling out through pursed lips. She trembled at first with the effort it took to keep O'Donnell still, and the two of them stood like two bizarre statues for over a minute in the darkened room until Beth relaxed a bit, confident that she could move and still maintain enough concentration to keep the officer from hurting her.

O'Donnell's eyes were blinking rapidly in fear, and followed her as she approached his side.

A wordless cry of pain left his mouth as her hand grazed over the back of his, a few heat blisters appearing on the surface of his skin. Beth unclipped the ring of keys hanging on his belt and removed his sidearm, along with the extra clip which she tucked into her bra. Hearing a slight rustling sound from the other side of the bed, she backed up and snapped the knob off the inside of the door, tossing it into the corner.

Beth took one last look at the officer, who could only watch her out of the corner of his eye now, and stepped into the corridor, pulling the door shut behind her.

Free to move now, O'Donnell rushed to the observation window and looked out at where she stood in the hallway. He pounded his fists on the glass and yelled a stream of obscenities while she looked in at him. The cop was too busy shouting his threats to notice the glance she made toward the movement by the bed.

As the white coat drew nearer, Beth placed her hand on the barrier between them, and O'Donnell pounded the glass one more time in a fit of indignation.

She brought her face up to the window and made eye contact before speaking her next words harshly.

"You're gonna be in a lot of pain, and I want you to understand that it's nobody's fault but your own."

His answering sneer was cut short when a pale hand appeared on the officer's shoulder, and she watched as the walker that used to be Dr. Edwards clamped his teeth down on the back of O'Donnell's neck.

Beth turned away from the window as the cop started screaming, and headed for the stairwell where she'd nearly escaped with Noah. She halted and spun in her tracks though, gun raised, when she heard a familiar voice yelling her name.

Dawn stood fifteen feet away, her 9 mm pointed at Beth, as O'Donnell's loud cries for help carried through the glass until finally his bloody hand slapped against the window and slid out of sight.

The officer stared back at her ward, enraged. "What did you _do_? You have no idea how much it's taken to get us here. What sacrifices we've made for the sake of building a future. Who do you think you are to come in here and try to undo all of our hard work?"

Beth knew the officer's accusations were meant to frighten her into submission but the woman's speech barely registered. Instead, it brought perfect clarity to what needed to be done.

As Dawn took another breath to continue her rant Beth squeezed the trigger and watched the woman's head snap back before crumpling to the floor, a bullet hole between her eyes.

Bending over the officer's body, she took her sidearm and spare clip too, hoping it would be enough to get her out of the city. It would be better to have a quieter weapon, but she had no idea where her knife and clothes were and didn't want to waste time looking.

Tucking the spare gun into her waistband, Beth made the decision to do one more thing before leaving.

She jogged over to Joan's door, hoping she'd be healed enough to come with her, and almost called out her friend's name upon entering the room but stopped abruptly.

A white sheet was pulled up over the woman's face, her curly hair still visible on the pillow. Seeing the small red stain next to her head, Beth sighed and brought a hand to her forehead, wishing she could afford to sit down and have a good cry but now was not the time. She pushed down the emotion and stepped back into the hallway.

Looking to her right, a small group of wards were cautiously approaching Dawn's body, but they cowered back when they saw the gun in Beth's hand. Seeing they were frightened, she lowered the weapon and shook her head. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Edwards and O'Donnell are dead, too. There's still a few other cops left, but I don't know where they are. I've got a key so if any of you want to leave then you need to come with me now."

They seemed too scared to move or give any response, so Beth turned and sprinted toward the stairwell.

Unlocking the door, she hurried down the steps alone this time, trying not to replay the events of the last hour over in her mind. By the time she reached the bottom, though, the weight of the deaths she caused left her feeling like an empty shell of the person she once was.

There were no signs of her being followed, so she inserted the final key and walked out into the parking lot, numbness spreading through her at what her freedom had cost.

 **Note to self. When Beth says to let go, just let go, already. How many times should a girl have to ask? Geesh.**  
 **If anyone was hoping for a big confrontation with Dawn, well, sorry. I always get irritated when the bad guy is allowed to ramble on incessantly when the good guy can just shoot them and be done with it. You know, like Rick should have done right off the bat during his meeting with the Governor.**  
 **Please leave a comment on what you thought of the chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

Daryl pulled the white delivery truck over to the curb on a street behind the hospital and parked it. The determined look on his face contradicted the mass of nerves knotted in his gut, and he prayed that he made the right decision by backing Tyreese's suggestion of a peaceful trade.

Jumping out of the truck, he slung his crossbow strap over his head and grabbed the rifle off the seat before walking to the back and rolling up the door to let out Ty, Sasha and Noah.

Rick coasted the police car up next to them, yanking the emergency brake and stepping out to scan the surrounding buildings for any sign of snipers.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he nodded once at Daryl and they both opened the back doors of the car to pull out Licari and Shepard, whose hands were zip tied behind their backs. Rick put his hand on his gun and gave the male officer a shove forward. "Move."

All seven of them walked slowly into the rear parking lot, the cuffed officers in front. Everyone else had their weapons up and ready for enemy fire, but the hospital was strangely quiet. No signs of life from the windows, and there was no one waiting inside the door like was promised over the radio.

Rick held his hand up to signal the group to stop and grabbed Licari's shoulder, bringing them to a halt, too. His instinct was telling him something was wrong, and he took a long moment before continuing on, deciding if they should come under fire that being exposed like this out in the open wouldn't be to their benefit.

They were more than half way across the lot when the back door opened. A young blonde woman in scrubs walked out slowly with a gun in her hand, staring straight ahead as though she didn't see them.

A shot of adrenaline flooded through Daryl when he realized who it was, and he threw his rifle to the ground to run toward her. Rick reached a hand out to grab him, wary of the situation, but there was no stopping him. He called out her name. " _Beth!"_

It seemed to snap her out of the daze she was in, but as he ran to her, he knew something was terribly wrong. The expression on Beth's face was utterly blank as she looked at him, but he scooped her up in his arms anyway, so relieved to have her back.

Her feet dangled above the ground as he held her, fighting a losing battle against tears as relief washed over him, and she slowly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tucked her head into his neck.

A few moments later, she whispered in his ear that she couldn't breathe and he snorted softly, setting her gently on the ground in front of him and wiping his eyes before anyone else saw.

Sasha's hand rested on her brother's shoulder, a faint smile on her face, as Rick stepped closer and leaned down to look in Beth's eyes. "You alright?"

She nearly choked in holding back her tears as she met his concerned gaze. "I'm alive."

He stared back at her for a few seconds, worrying his lip, and not liking the damage he saw there before nodding and accepting her answer for the moment. Putting his hands on his hips, he dropped his head and squinted up at Beth, fearing the worst. "And Carol?"

She leaned into Daryl, his arm still wrapped around her, and closed her eyes before shaking her head quickly in response.

Rick hung his head back and stared at the sky briefly before dropping it with a sigh and nodding.

Daryl pulled her closer and rested his chin on her hair, and Beth felt him shudder at the news. She caught Rick's attention. "Her body is still in there in Room 512." She felt more tears running down her cheeks as guilt ran through her again. "I thought I was alone. I didn't think I could escape and get her out to give her a proper burial. There should only be a couple cops left in there and a handful of unarmed wards if you want to get her."

At Beth's suggestion, Shepard spoke from behind Rick, where she was still cuffed and leaning against one of their cars. Licari stood beside her, the both of them looking up at the hospital in shock. Her tone was disparaging as she glared at their former ward. "Only a couple cops left? _What in the hell did you do?"_

Beth was so distracted when she got out, and caught up with the reunion with her family, that she hadn't noticed them standing off to the side, forgotten.

She tensed and shifted out of Daryl's embrace, stalking past Rick and raising her gun, firing a round into each of the cops' foreheads.

The rest of the group stared at her, in shock, and as both officers slumped to the ground dead, Beth gripped her gun and started hyperventilating. In between gasps of air she explained. "They captured women...raped and beat them...got them pregnant-" She put a hand on the trunk lid and bent over to throw up the meager contents of her stomach.

Beth felt Daryl's hands on her shoulders as she dry heaved, and he reached down to take her weapon away, whispering in a low voice. "Hey. You're okay now. You're with us."

She looked up into his worried face and nodded.

Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, embarrassed, Daryl pulled her in for another hug and looked at Rick. "You take Tyreese in and get her. We'll stay out here. Ain't no way we're leavin' Carol in this place."

His friend nodded, and the two men walked in, weapons raised. While they waited, Beth noticed Noah standing behind Sasha, looking out of place and toeing the ground with his shoe.

She couldn't believe he was here, and managed a shaky smile as he walked over. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled back and looked at his face. "How are you still here? I thought you'd be long gone."

Noah gave her a bashful grin before answering. "I, uh, was gonna come back for you but I needed weapons first. Then I ran into your friends." He glanced at Daryl, who was giving him a wry look, and scratched his neck. "I kind of...borrowed their guns and the crossbow. Turns out they were looking for you, too, though."

Beth's mouth hung open, and she turned with a faint smile for Daryl. "You let someone take your crossbow?" He didn't say anything, just clenched his jaw and glared at Noah.

"Hey." Noah shrugged and lifted his hands at the tough looking man staring him down. "If I hadn't then you wouldn't have your girl back, would you?"

Daryl ignored the smartass remark and cleared his throat, choosing to suddenly look down at his feet with great interest while Beth smiled at him softly. Her good mood only lasted a moment before she clutched his arm, looking around in a panic. "Wait. Where's Maggie and Glenn? Carl and Judith and everyone? Are they okay?"

He nodded at her. "Yeah, they're all fine." He glanced over at Sasha as she watched the door for her brother, and lowered his voice. "Everyone but Bob. He didn't make it. Michonne's back at a church we been staying at with Carl and Judith."

Beth waited anxiously for him to explain where her sister and Glenn were. He swallowed uncomfortably and went on. "Maggie and Glenn took off for DC with three other people. Some jackass with them says he's got a cure but it's horseshit if you ask me."

Confused, she looked up at Daryl. "She left? She just assumed I was dead?"

"I saw the car that took you and told her you was alive. Carol and I left the church and tracked one here to the hospital but Maggie and Glenn left with their friends while we was gone. The dumbasses never stopped to think we might have a lead on where you were."

Daryl watched Beth carefully, seeing the bit of hope she had of seeing her sister again change into hurt that Maggie had given up on finding her to go on what sounded like a wild goose chase.

They all flinched as two gunshots rang out from the hospital and shortly after Rick came out, holding the door open for Tyreese as he walked through carrying Carol's body that was now wrapped in a sheet.

"Shot two more of their cops that drew on us. Didn't see anyone else." Rick holstered his Colt and looked up at the hospital one last time. "How about we head back to the church? I'm sure Judy's gonna want to see you, Beth." He put an affectionate hand on her shoulder and gave her a tired smile, then started walking toward their vehicles.

Daryl looked down at the remnants of Beth's forced smile as they turned to follow. "S'wrong?"

She just looked up at him and shrugged before dropping her eyes and trailing after the rest of the group.

Rick took the car again, while the rest chose to ride in the back of the truck with Carol's body, leaving Beth and Daryl in the cab alone. They'd been driving for five minutes in silence when he glanced over at her. She was staring out the window and working her hands nervously in her lap, a million miles away.

Daryl cleared his throat. "If you don't tell me what's wrong I may start singin'. An' it won't be pretty."

She snorted and turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised. "Go ahead. That'd be a show I'd pay to see."

He rolled his eyes at her and gripped the steering wheel tighter, giving her a dirty look. "Come on, now. I'm bein' serious." He reached over and touched her hand. "It's me."

Beth sighed and threaded the fingers of her one hand through his. "I know. It's just, I'm different now, Daryl, in more ways than one." Her voice trailed off to a whisper. "I've killed people and done things. I don't know if I should be holdin' a baby."

They rocked back and forth with the motion of the truck as he thought about what she said. Finally, he shook his head at her explanation. "Nah. That's bullshit. You say you had t'kill people?" She nodded. "Did they leave you any other choice?"

Beth looked over at him, her brow furrowed in thought. "I guess not."

"Pffft. You guess not?" He scoffed at her answer. "Nah, I know you, Greene. You ain't no cold blooded killer. Those people back there deserved a lot worse than what you served 'em for justice. You did what you had to do to survive. Plain and simple. And you sure as hell would never hurt a baby."

She smiled gratefully at his words, despite her dark mood, and wondered how he always knew the right thing to say. Beth let go of Daryl's hand to scoot over to sit next to him, feeling the heat of his arm against hers and relaxing for the first time in ages.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Daryl dropped his right hand on his leg, palm up. "You were right, y'know."

Beth traced her fingers over his palm before lacing her fingers in between his again. "About what?"

He squeezed her hand and looked out his side window so she wouldn't see the raw emotion in his eyes. "Missed you somethin' awful."

She looked up at Daryl's face but he pretended not to notice, so Beth just leaned her head against his shoulder and took in the scenery flying by, squeezing his hand back. "Told ya."

* * *

The sun was dropping closer to the horizon when they arrived at the church. Rick was the first out, stepping around the organ pipes lodged in the ground and jogging up the steps to announce their return.

While Daryl pulled his crossbow on and walked around to the back of the truck, Beth slid out of the cab, looking around at the church and the woods surrounding it. She swung her door shut and took in a deep breath, glad to be away from the stench of the city. It seemed so peaceful here, but the sound of planks being ripped from the church doors brought her back to reality.

Michonne stepped outside with Judith in her arms and smiled when she saw Beth, but it soon fell as Tyreese carried Carol's body over and laid her gently on the grass.

Rick leaned up against the railings, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "She'd already passed by the time we got there." He took Judith in his arms and kissed her hair, murmuring softly to his little girl as he walked over to Beth slowly. "Guess who's here, Judy?"

Beth rubbed her hands on her hips, anxious all of a sudden, until Daryl stepped beside her and guided her over with his hand at her back.

Rick smiled as he passed her to Beth, who settled Judy on her right hip like no time had passed, but he laughed a little as she had to lift her up to get a better grip. "She's gettin' big."

She cradled her hand at the back of Judy's head and breathed in her clean scent. "I see that. She's growin' like a weed."

Carl ran down the steps, smiling when he saw Beth and came over to give her an awkward hug while she held his sister. He eyed her scrubs and chuckled. "We're definitely gonna have to find you some new clothes."

Beth sighed and looked down at what she was wearing. "Yeah. I feel like I'm havin' one of those dreams where you realize you're out in public in your pajamas."

She gave a small laugh and looked up at Daryl, wondering why his cheeks were turning bright red at her comment. She nudged him with her arm and started walking toward the church. "Come on."

Michonne smiled broadly as she approached, wrapping her arms around Beth and whispering in her ear. "It's good to see you again." She stepped back, examining the cuts on her face with worry and saw the tears forming in Beth's eyes at her show of concern. She lowered her voice and admonished her gently. "Don't start that or I'm gonna have to join you."

Beth laughed and swallowed them back, nodding and kissing Judy's face. Michonne held out her hands. "Here, let me take her. You're probably exhausted. Dixon can show you around inside, and there's some canned food if you're hungry."

Daryl led her into the cool interior of the church, and she stopped to look around. Some of the pews had been destroyed to board up the windows, and looking ahead she saw a quote from the Gospel of John above the pulpit. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." Beth cringed at the irony of the passage.

She followed him into a room at the back of the church where a neat stack of canned goods was piled along one wall, and a few sleeping bags were off to the side.

He scratched his ear and glanced at her. "You wanna eat or sleep or anythin'?"

Beth rubbed her hands on her arms and shook her head. "Later. And I don't think I could sleep right now if I tried."

Daryl nodded and looked at the stained glass window. "We got a few hours of daylight left. Could maybe bag somethin' for dinner. You wanna come?"

She nodded with enthusiasm, eager to be in the outdoors again, and trailed after him with her arms still half folded.

He turned around as they walked up the aisle, catching her mid-shiver. "You cold?"

Nodding sheepishly, Beth watched as he pulled off his Stryker and slipped out of his leather jacket even though she waved her hands to stop him. "No, Daryl. I'll be alright once we start walkin'."

He grunted his disagreement and stood in front of Beth to swing his jacket around behind her.

As she raised her arms to slide them into the sleeves he made the mistake of glancing down at her shirt and averted his gaze quickly when he saw her nipples were hard from the cold.

She zipped the jacket up, and Daryl sighed with relief, cursing himself for even looking.

They stepped outside, where Rick was holding Judith and discussing something with Carl and Michonne.

Tyreese was over near the treeline, digging yet another grave while Sasha stood watch with Noah. Daryl jerked his head at Rick. "We're goin' out for a hunt. See if we can have somethin' better than canned peas tonight."

Rick rubbed Judy's back as she dozed. "Alright, but be careful, and don't take too long. We want to have a short service for Carol before it gets dark."

Daryl looked over where his friend's body lay, still wrapped in the sheet and ducked his head briefly in acknowledgement.

They had only got to the bottom of the steps when Rick called out. "Oh, and Beth?"

She turned and met his gaze expectantly, and he asked. "Would you mind singin' somethin' at the funeral? I know Carol would've liked it. She told me once how much she always enjoyed your singin."

Beth smiled back at him wistfully. "Of course."

She moved her attention back to Daryl, who was still staring at the grave. Beth could see the guilt he carried, knowing it was second nature for him to blame himself for what happened to Carol. She put a hand on his arm to distract him from his own thoughts and spoke in a soft voice. "Ready?"

He nodded and they walked together into the forest.

 **It took awhile, but they're together again. Will Beth be able to confide in him about what happened to her?**  
 **Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter**!


	14. Chapter 14

They walked through the woods in silence for a few minutes, scanning the ground for fresh animal tracks or droppings.

Daryl spotted what looked to be recent prints on a rabbit trail and pulled out a bolt to load his Stryker, raising an eyebrow at Beth. "You wanna?"

Beth grinned and started to reach for it, but then remembered the cast on her hand and looked down at it, disappointed. "Oh. I guess I probably won't be able to until I get this thing off."

Daryl watched her rub her fingers over the bandaging covered the inside of her wrist and hesitated, wary of asking a question that might bring up bad memories of her time at the hospital. "How'd that happen?"

She dropped her hand and stared at the ground for a few beats, and Daryl immediately regretted not keeping his mouth shut when he saw the tears she was blinking back. "They told me it was a fractured wrist, at first."

He shifted his weight to the other leg, not really understanding her answer. "What do you mean, at first?"

Beth swallowed nervously and met his gaze, wanting desperately to confide in him. "Daryl, I need to tell you somethin', but you have to promise me you won't look at me differently."

She looked down at her hands anxiously, worry written on her face. "When I was at the hospital, thinkin' of gettin' back to you and findin' my family was what kept me goin'. It's just...I don't think I can carry a secret like this on my own."

Daryl leaned against a large oak tree and tried to beat down the worst possible scenarios racing through his mind, but after Beth had blurted out what the scumbags did to the women at Grady, it was hard to imagine anything else. If they hurt her like that there was nothing that would stop him from returning to the hospital and ripping their corpses limb from limb, but he bit back the anger to reassure her and looked her in the eye. "Ain't nothin' you could possibly say that would make me feel any different about ya, Greene. Nothin'."

She blew out a long breath and nodded, taking him at his word. "Earlier today the doctor told me it wasn't a fracture. He said the cops that took me that night gave me a walker bite on purpose after they'd knocked me out. Said they were doing some kind of research for a cure there and I was the latest test subject he got. I don't know, he said somethin' about filtering my blood so I didn't turn, but I didn't really understand. All I know is he was gonna force me to stay and be some kind of guinea pig."

Daryl considered what she said for a long moment, then pushed himself away from the tree to put a hand on her shoulder. "Beth, you don't actually believe any of that, do ya? The guy was probably just nuts. There ain't no such thing as a cure."

Beth wrapped her arms across her middle, hunching in on herself. "No, you don't get it." She looked up at him and spoke in a whisper. "I know he wasn't lyin'."

"How?" He nodded at her bandage. "You seen a bite under there?"

She shook her head. "No, but whatever they did changed me." Beth closed her eyes for a moment." I killed people back there, and did things I can't explain."

Daryl furrowed his brow, thoroughly confused about what she was trying to say. "What do you mean?"

Beth sighed and looked around. "Just watch," she pointed her finger at him in warning," but don't scream or nothin' 'cause this is really weird. I mean, _really_ weird. I thought I was losin' my mind, at first."

He nodded at her and waited.

She glanced at Daryl one more time before staring at a twisted piece of dead wood lying on the forest floor about twenty feet away, and as he watched, it rose up and hung in the air for a few seconds before falling back to the ground with a thud.

His jaw dropped and he staggered back a couple steps without meaning to. "What the hell?"

Beth looked back into his wide eyes. "I know. It's crazy but, I'm tellin' you, whatever they did _changed_ somethin' in me. I killed two cops back there who were gonna hurt me real bad..." she rubbed her temples, remembering, "I killed them in ways I shouldn't have been able to."

She shuddered at the memory. "I crushed one of their skulls against a window frame, Daryl. Crushed it with one hand. How is that possible? And when I get angry it's really hard to control. Like it's inside me fightin' to get out. The doctor said the treatment he gave me might've done somethin' to my DNA."

Thinking about it, she felt panic starting to set in again. "I'm terrified I might hurt someone now without meanin' to."

Without thinking, Daryl pulled her into his arms and Beth shook against him, apologizing for falling apart in between gasps for air. "I'm sorry. I'm a mess, ain't I? My emotions are just all over the place since gettin' out of there."

He rested his chin on her hair while he tried to think of what to say to make her feel better. "S'alright. We'll figure this out."

After a minute he cleared his throat. "Y'know, some girl taught me once to see the good in things. Maybe you're just lookin' at this the wrong way."

Beth pulled back a little to look up at Daryl, her hands sliding over the wings of his vest. "What do you mean? Nothin' good could ever come outta this. I just wanna forget."

He pushed her back at arm's length with a determined look. "Nah. You just need to practice and then you don't need to worry about lettin' it get away from ya."

She folded her arms and looked up at him, annoyed that he didn't seem to understand how serious this was. "Practice? What are you talkin' about? This ain't a game, Daryl."

Daryl bobbed his head in agreement, his expression turning dead serious. "Damn right this ain't no game, Beth. It's life or death out here in the blink of an eye." He snapped his fingers and pointed at her with the bolt still clutched in his hand. "This _thing_ , is it hurtin' you?"

Beth shifted her gaze to her feet, chewing on her lip and answering him with some hesitation. "Well, no. If anythin' I heal faster now. Yesterday I had a black eye and banged up shins from trying to get out, and that's all gone. They even shot me in the arm and I barely feel anythin' for pain in it now."

Daryl started to pace back and forth as he listened, wanting to punch the nearest tree hearing how they hurt her, but that wasn't going to help Beth so he swallowed the anger. "See, that's good. An' there ain't no point in worryin' about stuff before it happens, you hear me? Best you can do is be prepared. So if you practice on gettin' a handle on this other stuff...movin' shit or whatever it is you can do, then you'll be one step ahead."

"One step ahead of what?" She cocked her head at him.

He shrugged at Beth. "Don't you get it, Greene? Don't matter if you're scared of it or not, this thing you got is an advantage. And any advantage you got in this world means a better chance of savin' yourself or someone you care about."

Daryl tapped the feathered end of his bolt against his head. "Just think about it. Say lil' asskicker was in danger, and usin' this made the difference between her livin' and dyin'. Wouldn't you wanna do everythin' you could to save her?"

Beth sighed, putting her hands on her hips, thinking over what he said and knowing it was true.

Finally, she looked up at Daryl with a reluctant smile, starting to feel more like herself again. "You know, you're pretty smart for an old fella."

He snorted, swiping his bolt at her but missing when she dodged away with a giggle. "Old, huh? We'll see about that."

Daryl loaded his crossbow and motioned for them to start tracking the rabbit again. As they walked in tandem, he glanced over at Beth. "I figure you don't wanna tell anyone else back there about this whole thing."

Beth shook her head. "I'd rather just keep it between us for now. Not sure everyone would take it as well as you, and I don't wanna scare anybody."

Daryl nodded as he walked. "So we'll just do your trainin' out here, then. Nobody needs to know."

She nudged his arm and laughed quietly. "Guess you're stuck with me, . I almost feel sorry for ya."

He just grunted as they kept following the trail they were on. "Mmhmm. You _are_ pretty annoyin'."

Beth shot him a dirty look but noticed his lips were twitching in the barest hint of a smile, so she elbowed him in return.

Daryl accepted the little push and nodded at the rabbit tracks that were looking more recent. "Alright, we got some supper to catch so quit your jabberin' about bein' Superwoman and help me."

* * *

An hour later Daryl had two rabbits tied to his belt, and they decided to head back to the church. There hadn't been any walkers spotted the whole time, but they still spoke in hushed tones as they moved through the woods.

After several minutes walking he came to a stop, nodding at a spot further up the path where a rabbit was sitting, and raised his crossbow to take the shot. Beth put her hand on Daryl's shoulder to stop him, mouthing the word 'practice' and raising her eyebrows. He nodded and lowered his weapon, waiting to see what she'd do.

The rabbit sat about 30 feet away, chewing something quickly in its mouth, and Beth blew out a quiet breath. She focused her gaze on its head, and suddenly feeling squeamish, squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away before reaching out with her mind and snapping its neck with relative ease.

Beth opened one eye to take a peek at the rabbit that was now lying motionless on its side and then looked over at Daryl. His blue eyes bore into hers for a few seconds, and he swung the crossbow strap over his shoulder. "Remind me not to piss you off."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Very funny, Daryl."

"Pfft. I ain't kiddin'."

He walked over to the rabbit and picked it up by the hind legs, taking a good look around for any signs of walkers. "We should clean these. Don't wanna leave the innards too close to the church an' this is as good a spot as any. Besides, I wanna see how good you remember what I taught ya."

Beth rolled her eyes and dropped a knee to the ground, folding up the sleeve of his jacket and holding out her hand for his knife. He slapped the handle in her palm and leaned back against a tree to watch as she held one of the rabbits, making her cut at the neck and pulling the fur back just like he'd shown her.

She opened up the belly and reached in with her left hand, squeezing her eyes shut again and gagging as she pulled out the entrails. Daryl folded his arms and watched closely. "Make sure you don't rip any of that stuff open. It'll taint the meat."

She sighed at the reminder and dropped the bloody mess on the ground. "Yes, Mr. Dixon."

By the time Beth was on the last rabbit she wasn't sure she was going to want supper anymore. The skinning she didn't mind. It was having to touch the insides with her bare hands, made worse knowing she wouldn't be able to wash up unless they found a stream on their way back.

She looked at the last handful of intestines, making a sour face and adding it to the pile by her feet. "Ugh. So gross."

Beth heard a chuckle that Daryl tried to mask with a cough, and looked up to see him brush a hand across his mouth, failing to hide the smirk there as she eyed her bloody fingers with disgust. She struggled to her feet, shaking her wrist to flick something off the end of a finger. "Glad you're findin' this entertainin'."

Daryl rubbed the whiskers on his chin and motioned at the guts next to her. "Yeah, well. I coulda helped, I guess, if I wasn't so old."

As he walked over to the carcasses, Beth narrowed her eyes and scolded him. "Daryl Dixon!"

He just shrugged, looking very pleased with himself, and Beth broke into a wide smile.

She couldn't hide the overwhelming sense of affection she felt for Daryl as she beamed up at him. When he looked over to see her expression, Beth swore she saw his breath hitch for a brief moment before quickly looking away.

He bent over, busying himself with picking up the rabbits and kicking a pile of leaves to cover what was left behind, before straightening and glancing over his shoulder. "C'mon. We should be gettin' back."

Daryl started walking, leaving Beth trailing behind him, confused over the sudden change in his demeanor.

* * *

On a hunch, Daryl took a different route through the woods on their way back and they stumbled upon a shallow brook. Pulling a bottle off his belt, he walked over to fill it where the water gushed down over some rocks.

Beth picked a gravelly section just downstream to wash up, but leaning down and dipping her hand in the water she didn't have much luck getting it clean without having both hands to scrub. She huffed with frustration, not wanting to get her cast soaked and have to sleep with it wet all night, and started to call out to Daryl for help but he was already by her side. "Here, let me."

He took her hand in his and brought it down to the water, rubbing a thumb across her palm and massaging his fingers over the back of her hand with care, trying to get the blood off.

Beth crouched next to the brook as he leaned over her, growing a little embarrassed when her heart started beating faster at how good Daryl's hand felt on hers while he continued to knead each finger between his own.

It shouldn't have been a big deal, they were close after all, but his touch felt more intimate to her since they'd been reunited. Like it came easier to him now, at least with her.

The possibility of becoming more than just friends flashed through Beth's mind, and she glanced up at Daryl's lips, briefly wondering what they would feel like against hers but then looked away.

She couldn't deny that what she felt for him now was different than what was once an innocent crush, but she didn't want to jeopardize their relationship if he didn't feel the same. He meant too much to her.

Beth suddenly became very aware of how close he was, and shut her eyes as a new kind of warmth rushed through her core, but Daryl was so intent on his task he didn't notice the effect he was having on her.

He ran his fingers up her wrist gently, checking to make sure he got everything, and goosebumps rose on her skin from the contact. He saw them and glanced over at her questioningly just as her eyes opened and stared back into his. He held her gaze for a moment but the close proximity seemed to unsettle him, and Daryl pulled himself away to help her to her feet.

Beth blinked a couple times looking up at him, her cheeks flushed, and spoke in a soft voice. "Thanks."

Daryl ducked his head, still fixated on her, until realizing he was still holding Beth's hand and let it go so it fell back to her side. He swallowed nervously and looked away, the first to break eye contact, bending to pick up the rabbits and adjust his crossbow. "Ready?"

Beth nodded and fell in beside him, butterflies raging in her stomach, wondering if it was only her imagination that something had just shifted between them.

 **Oh , Daryl. You're making this harder than it needs to be. And damn you and your sexy hand massaging.**  
 **Comments make me happy! Please leave one.**


	15. Chapter 15

Beth and Daryl exited the woods behind the church, having walked the rest of the way in awkward silence.

She'd been stealing glances up at him the whole while but he seemed determined not to notice, instead biting on his thumbnail and looking everywhere but at her.

Rick nodded a greeting at Daryl, a grateful look on his face when he saw the rabbits. "Looks like we'll be eatin' good tonight."

"Yeah." Daryl jerked his head at Beth, still in a quiet mood. "You can thank her, too. She got the biggest one and cleaned 'em up."

"Is that so?" Rick put his hands on his hips and grinned at her. "Well, sounds like we might be livin' high on the hog now with two hunters at our disposal."

Beth just smiled shyly and shrugged, looked down at her feet and toeing the grass.

Rick's brow furrowed at her response, but then he noticed Daryl shifting his weight, looking just as uncomfortable. He looked from one to the other, puzzled, and then it suddenly clicked.

The reason why Daryl seemed like a changed man when they had been reunited just before Terminus.

The reason why Daryl had disagreed with his plan to go into the hospital, guns blazing, when he had always backed whatever Rick decided was best before.

The reason why he was watching his friend nervously adjusting his crossbow and nearly chew his thumbnail off while Beth's eyes flashed up at him, filled with concern and maybe a bit of confusion.

It was Beth. Whatever had happened when the two of them were separated after the prison had changed something between them, or it had for Daryl, at the very least.

Rick wiped a hand across his mouth to hide a grin, thankful that something positive might arise from all the suffering the group had endured in the past few months. He decided to take pity on the both of them and change the subject, getting back to the sombre task that was still at hand. "We were just waiting for the two of you to get back." He nodded to where the rest of the group lingered around the new grave. "It's time."

The three of them walked over to join the others. Tyreese stood with his head bowed, the shovel clasped in both hands and braced in front of him like it was the only thing holding him up, with Sasha beside him.

Rick stood next to his son, putting a hand on Judith's head where she slept in Michonne's arms.

Beth and Daryl moved to Carol's graveside to honor their friend, the tension between them forgotten for the time being, and Noah hung back, wanting to pay his respects but wary of intruding on the moment.

Rick hooked his thumbs on his belt and let out a long sigh. "There's not enough words to describe what Carol has meant to our family. She was not only a survivor, in the truest sense of the word, but the reason why most of us here are alive right now. She did what needed to be done for her family without thought for her own safety, always. If that's not courage, then I don't know what is. Carol was one of the strongest women I've ever met, and an equally fierce friend."

He closed his eyes as he went on. "You always think you'll have more time with the people you care about. It's days like this that remind us of what's important. Remind us to look out for each other, 'cause that's what Carol would want. That's what she always did."

He took a deep breath and looked around. "Anybody else want to say somethin'?"

After a long pause, no one else had spoken, so Rick looked to Beth and nodded. She started to sing in a clear strong voice.

 _I know your life on earth was troubled_  
 _And only you could know the pain_  
 _You weren't afraid to face the devil_  
 _You were no stranger to the rain_

 _Go rest high on that mountain_  
 _For your work on earth is done_  
 _Go to heaven a-shoutin'_  
 _Look for the Father and the Son_

 _Oh, how we cried the day you left us_  
 _We gathered round your grave to grieve_  
 _Wish I could see the angels' faces_  
 _When they hear your sweet voice sing_

 _Go rest high on that mountain_  
 _For your work on earth is done_  
 _Go to heaven a-shoutin'_  
 _Look for the Father and the Son._

Beth's voice only faltered at the end. Daryl put his hand at the small of her back and guided her away from the grave when Tyreese started filling it in. "C'mon."

They walked back over to the church where he handed Beth his lighter, and spoke in a low voice. "Think you can get a fire going? Gonna take someone with me to get water…cook them rabbits up."

"Yeah." Beth turned the lighter around in her fingers and looked him in the eye. "Be careful, okay?"

Daryl held her gaze for a moment and nodded once, then walked over to Michonne, and Beth felt a brief moment of panic as she watched him leave. She shook her head and tried to push her nerves aside, deciding to get to work and keep herself distracted.

Rick started following Carl into the church to help him feed and bathe Judith but stopped and reached out to Beth, briefly touching her arm. "Hey. You sure you're okay to get that goin' by yourself? Maybe you should sit down for a bit. Take it easy. You haven't stopped since we got back here."

Beth swallowed thickly and put on a brave face to reassure him that she was alright. "I'm fine. I don't mind doin' my part," so Rick relented and went inside.

The truth was, she felt like a rubber band stretched past its limit, and was worried she might break unless her mind was kept occupied. Being with Daryl again made it easy to ignore her anxiety over the events at Grady. Something about his presence calmed her, but he wasn't here right now.

Beth knew she still needed to come to terms with everything that had happened but, right this minute, avoidance seemed like the better idea. Keeping busy would help, and she didn't want anyone thinking she needed to be coddled.

Twenty minutes later Beth tossed more wood onto the small fire, and went back inside to search for something to lay across the hole she'd dug for the pot to sit on. Eventually she found an old cast iron floor grate and dropped it onto the grass nearby. They still weren't back with the water yet so she stood and waited, staring into the flames, unable to shake her growing sense of unease.

She just felt…. _off_. Her head was buzzing slightly and Beth wondered if she should sit down, but then her thoughts turned to Daryl.

He'd been so withdrawn since earlier in the woods. Maybe it was her fault. Maybe she'd misinterpreted his affection and made him feel uncomfortable.

Beth's cheeks flamed with embarrassment at the thought, and she looked up at the sky, feeling utterly stupid for thinking Daryl might actually be attracted to her. They'd become so close, and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their friendship.

She cringed internally and put a hand on her left cheek, touching the stitches she'd forgotten were still there. Beth closed her eyes and her thoughts went unwillingly back to Grady.

In a way, it felt like it wasn't even her that was there. Like it was just a nightmare. Something some stranger went through instead. But the events started flashing before her like some morbid slideshow to prove otherwise.

Edwards. Dawn. Gorman. Joan. O'Donnell. Carol. Shepard. Licari. All dead. Their lifeless faces swam through her thoughts, Joan and Carol gone because she couldn't save them. The rest, dead at her hands when there might have been another way.

Beth felt her heart began to stutter and pound. She'd killed six people. Murdered them. She was a murderer now. Her Daddy would be so ashamed of what she'd done. He'd always taught her that all life was precious.

Beth put both hands to her head and exhaled a faint keening sound, guilt rushing over her like a tidal wave and closing off her lungs. If Daryl or any of the others had witnessed what she'd done they would see her for the monster she was now.

Her breaths were coming in short wheezing rasps and the ground around her began to spin, making her drop clumsily to the grass on all fours. Beth clutched it in her hands, desperate to anchor herself on something as her world spun, suddenly having the irrational fear that if she let go she would be swept away.

She was barely aware that the trees nearby were starting to groan and move back and forth as though at the mercy of a strong wind when there wasn't even a breeze, and a small part of her understood that she was the one causing it. The thought that others might see it and figure out her secret brought her to a new level of panic, and she watched a drop of sweat fall from the tip of her nose seemingly in slow motion.

There was shouting from a distance, only it sounded muffled so she ignored it.

Finally, someone knelt down in front of her and spoke, but she still couldn't make out the words. It felt like she was submerged under water.

Beth stared at the grass, wondering if she was dying, and thought of her father. Air hissed in and out of her lungs as she started whispering in short bursts, "Forgive me. Forgive me."

Seconds later a crossbow dropped beside her and strong arms pulled her backward. Daryl held her back to his chest while he sat down with her on his lap, her head lolling against his shoulder. "I've got you, Beth. I've got you. M'sorry. I shouldn't of left you. Just breathe for me, okay? Just breathe."

Beth stared up at the tree tops and watched them dance while she struggled for air. She was vaguely aware that everyone was standing around and looking at her until she heard Daryl lash out at them. "What are y'all lookin' at? Get the hell out of here and give her some room!"

When the others drifted away he placed a warm hand over her diaphragm and spoke into her ear in a low voice. "You listen to me now, Greene. You focus on my voice and you breathe, dammit. In and out. Deep breaths. Just relax and breathe for me."

Black spots faded and reappeared in her vision so she closed her eyes and tried to focus on Daryl. The way his body heat seeped through her clothes and started warming her skin. The low rumble of his words in her ear. His lips ghosting over her earlobe while he kept reminding her to breathe.

Beth wished she was more in her right mind so she could actually enjoy it, and then tried to hold in a bark of laughter over how absurd she was being, but it came out as a feeble cough instead.

Beth didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually her head started to clear and she felt her lungs opening up. Taking in a long deep breath and exhaling with relief, she noticed the trees were still again and groaned. Daryl looked up at them and asked, "Was that you?"

She sighed and nodded weakly. "I was hopin' nobody would notice."

"Michonne and I heard it a little ways out and came runnin'. Didn't know what the hell it was."

He sensed Beth starting to stiffen in worry and spoke calmly in her ear again. "S'alright. I think everybody was too freaked out over you. They never clued in."

She relaxed a little at his words but then it dawned on her that she was practically lying on him so she started pulling away, mortified. Daryl held on to Beth's sides as they both struggled to their feet and he didn't let go when he saw her sway a little.

She brushed some stray hairs away from her face and met his concerned look. "Thank you. I….I'm not really sure what that was."

"Panic attack." He looked away briefly and then back at her, his face etched with worry. "Saw my Mom have a few of them when I was little."

Beth nodded up at him and put her hand on his arm. "Well, I'm okay now. Really tired, though. I feel like I just ran five miles." She caught the sudden change in his expression at her words. "You okay?"

Daryl held her gaze for a long moment and then jerked his head toward the church. "Yeah. C'mon. You're gettin' some rest while I get them rabbits cooked. You'll feel better with some food in you."

He held her arm as they went back inside and guided her to a sleeping bag in the back room.

Beth sat down on it but he wasn't satisfied. "Lay down, Greene. You're supposed to be sleepin', not sittin' and starin' at the walls."

She rolled her eyes and stretched out with a huff, feeling a little self-conscious as Daryl stood looking down at her. He turned to head for the door, and she called out to him. "You sure you don't want my help cookin' those rabbits? You might burn them."

She folded her hands across her stomach and smiled faintly as he narrowed his eyes, pointing at her. "Stay."

As he walked through the door she muttered a reply. "Yes sir, ."

"I heard that." Daryl called back over his shoulder as walked away. "Get some sleep."

Beth dozed off fairly quickly and awoke just before dark. The smell of the rabbits cooking carried in, making her stomach growl.

She rolled over on her side and stared at the pile of food across the room, noticing a huge bag of barley. Giving up on sleep for now, she grabbed the bag and headed outside.

Daryl was sitting on the steps, sharpening his knife, when Beth sat down beside him. He was just opening his mouth, she was sure, to complain about her not sleeping, but she cut him off.

"I _did_ get some sleep," she looked over at the pot, "but that smell is makin' me hungry."

He hummed his approval so she held up the bag. "Can we throw some of this in? I used to love my Momma's barley soup."

Daryl nodded and took the bag, walking over to the pot and dumping some in while Beth folded her arms next to the fire and looked up at the first stars coming out. "I remember some nights me and Maggie would sneak out of the house with a blanket and lay down in a field to look at the stars. It'd be a game to see who could spot the first one to fall and make a wish."

She sighed and shook her head sadly. "They're still so beautiful, but it's hard to believe they're the same ones after everythin' that's happened."

Daryl moved the pot off the fire and started kicking dirt over the flames. "They're still the same." He looked over at her. "It's us that's changed."

Beth nodded, following him while he carried their supper to the church as Rick came around the corner with the others in tow. He looked like he wanted to ask her how she was, but she held up her hand. "I'll be fine."

He bobbed his head in agreement and guided her up the stairs. "Yeah. You will be."

Everyone headed inside except Michonne, who sat down to take first watch.

* * *

Beth sat on her sleeping bag next to Daryl, her belly full, and leaned back against the wall, admiring the woodwork on the ceiling.

He had scarfed his supper down faster than her, and stretched out on his own blanket with one arm folded behind his head. She looked down at him affectionately as he fought to stay awake, fighting the urge to reach out with her fingers and brush the hair off his face. Beth thought he was so handsome, but his hair was always hanging down and covering the eyes she wanted to see.

She wondered if he'd let her give him a little trim, and almost laughed out loud as she pictured trying to wrestle him to the ground with a pair of scissors in hand. Beth's train of thought took a turn as she realized that sounded kind of hot, and then mentally chastised herself for going there.

She didn't want to be the kind of girl who pined after a guy who clearly wasn't interested.

Beth smiled when she heard his breathing change over to a soft snore and looked around the church. It was hard to see over the pews, but it seemed like everyone else was asleep in the spots they'd picked out.

It didn't feel like sleep would come to her yet, and she needed to pee soon, so Beth decided to take some supper out to Michonne while she was at it. She slipped out quietly through one of the front doors and sat down beside her friend, holding up the can of stew and a spoon.

The other woman groaned and set her katana down beside her. "Thank god. I was about ready to start chewing on the railing."

Beth giggled and drew her knees up in front of her, enjoying the crisp night air. The stars filled the sky now, and she looked up at them in awe, letting out a long even breath and feeling a sense of peace.

Michonne shoved another spoonful in her mouth and tried to talk around it, eyeing her. "You feeling better now?" but it came out kind of garbled.

Beth snickered quietly at her. "Not polite to talk with your mouth full." She smiled and looked out into the darkness, sighing. "I'm not sure that I'm better, but I'm figurin' it out as I go, I guess."

Michonne tilted her head and wiped some stew off her chin. "That's all you can do." She dug deeper in the can and spoke before shoving more in her mouth. "I know one thing. Dixon'll be a lot nicer person to be around now that you're back."

Beth glanced at the other woman, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Michonne shrugged and set the empty can down beside her as she finished chewing, wiping her hands on her legs. "That man ran all night after the car that took you. Didn't stop until he lost which way it went. Probably near killed himself from exhaustion."

Beth's mouth hung open as she looked at her friend. "He did?"

"Mmhmm. And he never gave up on findin' you, either. Was a real moody son of a bitch by times, but there was somethin' different about him, too. Couldn't put my finger on it." Her gaze slid over to Beth to see her reaction.

Beth looked down at her hands, surprised, and she whispered. "I didn't know."

"I guess he saw one of them Grady cars nearby and took after it with Carol, came across Noah. And well, you know the rest." Michonne rested her katana across her legs again. "He was a man possessed. Seems you made quite an impression on him." She smirked at Beth.

"What? No!" Beth shook her head in denial. "We're just good friends. He woulda done the same for anybody."

"Mmmhmmm." Michonne raised her eyebrows teasingly. "Friends, huh? Well that's nice, I suppose. So, you wouldn't mind if I….?"

Beth froze and stared back at her friend, speechless, while Michonne grinned back at her and nudged her arm. "Just kiddin'. I make it a policy not to chase after a guy if he's infatuated with someone else."

Beth rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're nuts. It's not like that." She was starting to get flustered and waved her hands in the air. "I'm gonna go pee now. Can you cover me?"

Michonne smirked at her and nodded, following her down the steps and over to a bush that Beth crept behind. Just as she pulled her pants up and came out they started hearing a commotion inside the church.

Michonne pulled her katana out of its sheath while someone, it sounded like Daryl, called out Beth's name frantically. When the door opened they could hear Rick inside, saying, "I'm sure she's alright, Daryl. Just calm down."

Daryl rushed out to the top of the steps, crossbow in hand, eyes darting around until he located Beth. "Where were ya? I woke up and you weren't there!"

Beth stood on the grass, looking up at him, bewildered. "I had to pee."

"Oh." He shifted awkwardly and lowered his crossbow.

"Yeah. Oh." Beth smirked up at him.

"You think this is funny?" Daryl glared at her half-heartedly.

"No." Beth shook her head firmly but couldn't keep her lips from twitching.

He grumbled something under his breath and motioned impatiently with his arm for her to come back inside. "Get your ass in here, Greene. Ya shouldn't be out here."

Beth rolled her eyes dramatically, baffled by the way he was fussing over her, but then caught Michonne's look as she moved past. The woman's eyebrow was raised and she gave her a cheeky grin that Beth met with narrowed eyes.

Daryl watched her like a hawk as she stretched out on her sleeping bag before laying down, himself. He spoke over his shoulder, "You need to go out again, you let me know and I'll go with ya."

"Daryl," Beth disagreed with him gently. "You need your rest."

He grunted and folded his arm underneath his head again. "Need you to be safe more."

She smiled and craned her head to look at him but his eyes were closed, so she did the same and soon fell into a deep sleep.

 **Credit to Vince Gill for "Go Rest High on that Mountain"**

 **I don't know if I successfully described Beth's panic attack or not. I'm sure others have varying symptoms. I could only base it off an attack I had last year, minus the swaying trees, that came hand in hand with an unexpected medical diagnosis and anxiety over work. Either way, I wouldn't wish one on anybody. They fucking suck.**  
 **You know the drill...Please leave a comment!**


	16. Chapter 16

_Beth woke up, sprawled out on a bed made with crisp white sheets. She smiled and started to stretch her arms and legs but then realized she wasn't alone._

 _Daryl was laying on his side next to her, propped up on one arm, looking down at her intently. It was only then she realized he was fully clothed and she was naked, but she wasn't embarrassed. If anything, Beth wished he would look at her, but he didn't. He remained focused just on her face._

 _She wanted him to touch her, though, and started growing frustrated when he kept his free hand on his hip. Reaching up to run her hand through his hair, he gently took it and laid it back at her side, leaning his mouth close to her ear and murmuring in a low voice. "What do you want, Beth?"_

 _She shivered as his lips ghosted across her earlobe and moved her head so his cheek grazed against hers. Daryl moved back just enough that their lips were nearly touching and she looked up into his piercing eyes, pleading. "You. I want you."_

 _Beth licked her lips, expecting him to kiss her but he just nodded and brought a finger up to her mouth, tracing around it gently and, at his touch, her breaths turned shaky. She watched his face as he trailed his fingertip across her mouth and Beth parted her lips with a moan, wishing he'd put it in further so she could taste it but instead he brought his fingers down the side of her neck and across her collar bone._

 _The feel of him barely touching her skin was driving her crazy. Her chest was heaving up and down and she felt desperate for more. Desperate for anything he was willing to give. Her nipples were painfully hard, and Daryl's fingers were so close that Beth thought she'd go out of her mind if he didn't touch them soon._

 _She brought her hand up to try and guide his to her breast but he wouldn't be rushed, and she whined in frustration as he whispered in her ear. "Sshhh. Just wait."_

 _Beth squeezed her thighs together, feeling how wet she was getting as Daryl dragged his fingers along her side, her breath hitching with anticipation as he grazed her breast with his thumb briefly, but kept going. He traced down and across her stomach lightly, up the other side again and in between her breasts, only to repeat it several times until she was trembling with need._

 _She grabbed the sheets and almost sobbed as she begged for more. "Daryl, please."_

 _Daryl smirked playfully at her, suddenly dragging his thumb back and forth over one of her nipples and she gasped, arching her breast into his hand. As he rolled it between his fingers he leaned down and took the other one in his mouth, sucking on it and flicking it with his tongue. Beth tilted her head back and felt the muscles between her legs clench, her mouth gaping open as he tugged on one of them slightly. "Ahhhhhhhhhh."_

 _Beth squeezed her legs together again, feeling her juices dripping down onto the sheets, trying to get some relief as she watched him suck hard on her nipple and release it one last time._

 _Daryl looked down at her, watching her face as he trailed his fingers lower over her curls. She groaned out loud as he continued on to the inside of her thigh, tracing light patterns there even though she spread her legs slightly in invitation. He brought his hand slowly up to her center once more but only brushed there lightly before moving his fingers down the other thigh, coming so close to her wetness a few times but always dragging his fingers away again._

 _At last, he brought his hand up, resting it on her soft mound and she whimpered, waiting impatiently for him to relieve this unbearable pressure that was building up inside her. He finally pressed his middle finger down, sliding it through the wetness between the folds of her pussy and Beth spread her legs further apart, crying out. "Oh, god. Daryl…."_

 _He ran the tip of his finger back and forth through her juices, trailing it around the entrance to her vagina and back up again around the outside of her clit but not quite providing the pressure she craved there. Daryl was teasing her, and god it was so damn cruel but so fucking good at the same time that Beth almost couldn't stand it._

 _She was shaking now, torn between screaming at him to stop and pleading for more, but she spread her legs wider, needing him to take this ache inside her away._

 _Just when Beth thought she was at her breaking point Daryl brought his index finger together with his other one and swirled them over and around her clitoris and she lost control._

 _The orgasm pulsed outward from her core and she threw her head back, riding out the waves of pleasure, rocking her hips against his hand and moaning loudly with each pulse that went through her body. Another satisfied moan escaped her lips when he…_

Beth awoke with a start in the church, hearing herself making some kind of strange noise as she did.

She froze, remembering her dream, and made to disguise the tail end of the moan with a cough but was horrified when she realized her hand was between her legs and it felt like she had actually made herself cum in her sleep.

Feeling the last remnants of her inner muscles clenching she rolled over on her side quickly and stared at the wall with wide eyes, mouthing, "oh my god," and listened to see if anyone else in the church was awake.

After a few seconds listening to the various snores and deep breathing from the others she relaxed slightly, glancing over at Daryl's blanket and thanking her lucky stars that he must be outside on watch.

Her heart still pounding from the dream, Beth squeezed her thighs together, her eyes widening further when she felt how wet she was. She'd never had a dream like that before in her life. Hadn't even had an orgasm like that before.

Sure, she and Jimmy had fooled around quite a bit when they dated, but it was more out of curiosity for her than attraction. He'd never been able to get her off like she was able to when she masturbated, and finally Beth got tired of him not being able to take any direction she'd offered and broke up with him. Nobody else knew that was why. They just thought it had run its course.

And Zach, well, he was cute but he didn't know what he was doing either. Beth had actually gone all the way with him once, hoping to feel something earth shattering like Maggie gushed about feeling with Glenn, but it had mostly hurt and he'd finished so fast that Beth regretted the effort she put into stealing the condom from her sister's cell.

But this, this was something else. Now she had some idea of what everyone talked about, only Beth knew she was just setting herself up for disappointment, longing after someone who didn't see her that way.

She sighed and closed her eyes again, but then the door opened and she heard Daryl approach. Beth looked up at him over her shoulder and he bent down to whisper something. "Sun's just about comin' up. Thought ya might like to see it."

She smiled and nodded, accepting the hand he offered to help her up, and followed him outside. Daryl sat down on the top step and Beth did the same, only scooting over as far away from him as possible. She wrapped her arms around her knees and out of the corner of her eye saw Daryl glance down, puzzled at the space she'd put between them.

He shifted in his seat casually, inching a bit closer to her, and Beth swallowed nervously, watching the sunrise until being distracted by a faint whiff of something she couldn't identify.

Looking around and sniffing, she couldn't figure out what it was until dropping her gaze to her lap and realizing with a start that it was her.

She was so wet after that stupid dream that she could smell her own arousal through the thin material of her scrubs.

Beth had a sudden revelation, thinking back to the musky aroma in the guard tower she had complained about a couple times to Maggie and Glenn after they spent the night there, and they had just looked at each other and laughed like it was a private joke. But that was it. That's what sex smelled like, and now it was on _her_.

Not wanting Daryl to catch her scent Beth leaped forward in a panic and ran down the steps onto the grass. He looked startled and put a cigarette between his lips, watching her fold her arms and turn beet red.

He brought the lighter up to the end of his smoke and took a drag. "You alright?"

Beth rocked her weight back and forth, attempting to be casual, and nodded. "Yup."

"'Cause you been actin' a little weird since you came out here." He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to figure it out. "You have a bad dream last night?"

She froze and looked up at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Heard you moan a couple times." Daryl shrugged. "Figured ya needed the sleep, though, so I let you be."

If Beth could have chosen to disappear at that moment she would have, but instead she shook her head. "No, it was actually a good dream."

She gulped, trying to think of a good lie, blurting out, "I dreamt I was eatin' a hamburger," and rolled her eyes at herself internally as Daryl raised an eyebrow. "It was really good."

"Must've been," he took another drag and exhaled, "from the sounds you were makin'. Don't think I've ever had one _that_ good, myself."

Beth leaned against the railing and looked up, momentarily fascinated as he flexed the fingers of his left hand. "Me either." She looked up at him sheepishly. "First time for everythin', though."

Daryl dropped the butt of his cigarette and ground it out with the sole of his boot, eyeing her suspiciously. "Why do I get the feelin' you're pullin' my leg?"

She smirked back at him and grabbed the railing, leaning her weight away from it. "I would never do such a thing, Mr. Dixon."

"Uh huh."

They were interrupted when Rick came through the door. He waved the map and looked around. "We'll get goin' in about half an hour. Just want to feed Judith first."

Daryl nodded and Rick stepped back inside to get his daughter. Beth looked at him, confused. "Where are we goin'?"

"Glenn and Maggie and those guys left a map of the route they were takin' to DC. Guess we're supposed to follow them and catch up." He shook his head. "Still think it's a waste of time."

Beth opened her mouth to say something but the sound of an engine made her turn toward the road.

A large red firetruck was driving toward them, and it swung into the yard, coming to a stop abruptly. One of the side doors opened and Maggie jumped out, crying and running toward them at full speed.

She slammed into Beth and wrapped her arms around her, sobbing her name over and over. "You're alive! Oh my god, I can't believe it. I'm so glad you're safe, Beth. I was so worried about you!"

Beth held her arms at her sides in shock at first, staring over her sister's shoulder as Glenn approached them with a smile, but she grew impatient with Maggie's crying and pushed her away. Her sister held her arms out like she wanted to hug her again but Beth took a step back and levelled a stare at her.

Rick came out with Judith in his arms and looked at Glenn, surprised to see them, and Glenn just shook his head wearily, "Eugene lied. There's no cure."

Rick's face fell at the news, and he glanced over at Daryl, who just shrugged a shoulder like he wasn't surprised.

"But we've got you back now, Beth. They saved you, that's all that matters." Maggie wiped her nose and stepped toward her again for another hug but Beth wasn't having it.

"First of all, I saved myself, Maggie. No thanks to you. You took off on some long shot instead of stickin' around to see if Daryl figured out where I was." Beth folded her arms and glared at her sister.

"Beth, I…we thought he had a _cure_ and I had no idea where to look for you. I just…I thought we lost you. I couldn't stand to think of you out there on your own." Maggie shook her head, fresh tears falling down her cheeks.

"So, what, it was easier for you to just not think of me at all? Poor little Beth, there's no way she could survive, is that right?" Beth was seething now, and she clenched her hands into fists. "And it's some nice that you could put more faith in a complete stranger than your own sister!"

Beth's heart was racing in her chest, and she realized her hands were starting to throw off an incredible amount of heat so she took another step back, suddenly afraid of what she might do if she didn't get away from the situation.

Maggie made to follow her but Daryl blocked her path as Beth walked across the lawn and into the woods.

Maggie looked at Daryl and grabbed his arm, sobbing. "I've gotta talk to her. Make her understand."

Daryl held his ground, biting back his own anger toward Maggie over how she'd given up on her own flesh and blood. "Nah. You need to give her space on this, Maggie. She ain't the helpless little girl you thought she was, and if she needs time," he pointed a finger at her, "you're gonna give it to her. Understand?"

Maggie drew back and looked at Daryl's face like she was seeing him for the first time. There was a different look in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, and she dropped her hand from his arm and nodded, watching him closely as he turned and followed Beth.

* * *

Beth strode into the woods, looking for an outlet for her anger. She wasn't more than a couple hundred feet in when she heard the unmistakable snarls of walkers, and her hand moved automatically to her hip, searching for the knife that was no longer there.

Feeling vulnerable for a brief moment, she shrugged it off, determined to channel the energy flowing through her veins and handle them on their own. If she knew Daryl, he wouldn't be far behind her anyway.

She saw the first walker, a man with wispy grey hair missing his left arm. It lurched out from behind a tree, one hand reaching for her as it stumbled over the roots protruding from the ground. Beth didn't let it get any closer.

She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly through pursed lips, blocking out everything else as she fixated on the walker's head, lashing out with her mind and striking it against the tree from where she stood twenty feet away. Black ooze ran down the tree trunk as the walker's skull cracked open, and it dropped to the ground, lifeless.

Another came from the same direction, this one a woman, her clothes torn to shreds and hanging off her thin frame. Beth looked down at the walker's feet, closing her eyes briefly in pity as she noticed its shoes were lost long ago and most of the toes were gone, causing it to lose its balance as it plodded toward her.

Beth drove the walker's head into the same tree, letting it fall next to the other one.

Beth waited and listened for more but the forest was quiet except for the familiar sounds of Daryl's footsteps approaching.

He came up beside Beth, taking in the freshly killed walkers, and lowered his crossbow. "You do that with your…?" He waved his hand in the air, not knowing what to call it.

"Yeah." Beth turned and looked at them. "I will need to get a knife, though. Just for appearances or whatever."

Daryl nodded and took in her expression carefully. "I told her she needs to back off. We'll see if she listens."

Beth swallowed thickly, the anger having dissipated only to leave raw hurt behind in its place. "Is it possible to feel happy but extremely pissed at seein' someone? I know I should just be glad I have my sister back, but it really stings that it seemed so easy for her to give up on me."

She looked up to find Daryl watching her intently. "I would _never_ give up on findin' _her_."

"I know."

"And what was with the 'I couldn't stand to think of you out there' crap? You don't just write off the people you care about, and I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself."

Daryl held her gaze. "You might be sisters, but Maggie's got to realize she don't know you like she thinks she does. You ain't weak. And you ain't no kid."

Beth huffed in annoyance and thought over what he said. She turned to face Daryl, folding her arms and squinting at him. "You don't think I'm a kid?"

"Pfft. You're about as much a kid as I'm a fairy princess."

She stepped closer, right in front of him, and looked up into his eyes, curious about something. "You think I'm a woman?"

They were only inches apart now, and Daryl swallowed nervously, staring into Beth's eyes and, unable to help himself, darting his own down to her mouth just long enough to betray how he felt.

He blinked and stammered his reply, meeting her gaze again. "Y…yeah. You're a woman, I guess," and cleared his throat, looking away and breaking the moment.

Beth watched him fidget, feeling relief and a sudden giddiness course through her that she hadn't imagined something between them before. She wished they could stay out here longer but knew someone would come looking for them soon. "Come on, we should head back, I guess."

They turned to go, and Daryl glanced over as they walked, catching the smile plastered across her face and snorted. "Thinkin' about that hamburger again, or somethin'?"

Beth laughed out loud, shrugging and grinning even wider. "Maybe," making the corners of his mouth twitch up, too.

 **Poor horny Beth. Sometimes a woman's just gotta take matters into her own hands. Ahem. *cough***

 **Pretty please, do leave a comment!**


	17. Chapter 17

When Beth and Daryl got back to the church, Rick was holding a meeting outside.

Everyone looked up as they joined the group, Maggie especially. She stood across from them with Glenn's arm around her shoulder, her eyes puffy from crying, watching Beth closely.

Rick laid the map out on the ground and stepped back to address everyone. "Alright, so we all know the plan has changed. Now we just have to figure out our next move. I wanna hear everyone's thoughts on it. We'll start with you, Glenn."

Glenn turned to Maggie with an unspoken question and she nodded, so he looked around the circle at everyone and spoke. "Eugene still thinks that Washington is our best chance at finding some place safe. He said they would've been better prepared for something like this; taken priority over other cities for stockpiling supplies." He scanned over the faces around him. "Maggie and I think we should go there."

Rick mulled over the suggestion, not seeming convinced. "Six hundred miles is a long trip based on a guess from somebody who's already lied to us once. Where is Eugene, anyway?"

Maggie glared pointedly over at Abraham. "He's in the truck. Recoverin'."

"Recovering?" Rick waited for Abraham to explain but the man just folded his arms and stared down at the map without a word.

Rosita spoke up to break the silence. "It's a long way to go, but Eugene is smart. He knows things. He lied about having the cure because he doesn't think he's strong enough to survive without someone protecting him, but Eugene has nothing to gain from suggesting Washington if he doesn't think we'd be better off there." She looked over at Maggie and Glenn. "I vote we go."

Rick called out Abraham's name to get his opinion but the man still didn't acknowledge him.

Rosita rested her hands on her hips and scoffed at his pig-headedness, turning to answer for him. "Don't you worry about him. He goes where I go."

Going around the circle, Rick asked for everyone's input, and it seemed the general consensus was for DC.

When Beth's turn came she paused before answering to share a quiet look with Daryl. He nodded his agreement so she turned to the group.

"I guess we're in, too." Beth happened to glance over at Maggie and see the way she was frowning at them.

Rick bent down and picked up the map. "It's settled then. Is there much gas left in the firetruck?"

Rosita shook her head. "It's almost on empty."

"Alright, well there's plenty of room between the truck and the car for everyone. Let's get our things loaded in the vehicles and leave in 15." Rick watched them head into the church and caught Daryl's attention as he passed. "Help me figure out the route we'll be takin' before we go."

Beth left him and went inside, walking over to where she and Daryl had slept last night.

She had just bent over to start rolling up her sleeping bag when Maggie came up behind her. Beth saw the boots approaching and sighed, sitting back on her haunches and waiting for her sister to start crying again, but she wasn't prepared for what actually came next.

"What's goin' on with you two?" Maggie's arms were crossed and she stared accusingly down at Beth.

"What?" She looked up at her sister's stern face, completely caught off guard.

"You and Daryl. I wanna know what's goin' on."

Beth felt her cheeks start to flush with anger, but she calmly finished tying her sleeping bag together before she stood up and looked Maggie in the eye. "Not that it's any of your business, but Daryl and I are just good friends."

Her sister barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Good friends? He's been attached to your hip since we got back."

Beth grabbed Daryl's blanket off the floor and rolled it up quickly to hopefully get away from her sister's interrogation. "Nothin' is goin' on Maggie. We just….grew closer after the prison. He's been there for me."

She picked up the bedding and held it under her arm, trying to brush past so she could get outside again, but Maggie blocked her with a sudden expression of concern.

"He's not pushin' himself on you, is he? You tell me now if he is and I'll set him straight. Just because he helped you doesn't mean you owe him anythin' in return."

Beth stopped in her tracks, outraged that her sister would accuse him of such a thing. "Daryl is a good man, Maggie. If you knew him at all you'd understand he'd never dream of doin' that."

"So you don't have feelings for him, then?" Maggie leaned down slightly to get a better read on her sister's face.

"Maggie," Beth was glad her face was already pink as she slipped by, "could you be any more annoyin'?" She started walking up the aisle, eager to end the conversation when her sister called out behind her.

"You have no idea what you're doin', Beth."

Beth spun around, seeing her older sister staring back at her with a patronizing look, and she lashed out. "You don't have a good enough track record as a sister to be tellin' me what to do, Maggie. The days of you bossin' me around are over. I don't need you anymore."

Beth swallowed thickly, feeling a stab of guilt as she saw Maggie's face fall, but she was too stubborn to take it back and jogged down the steps.

She found Rick and Daryl examining the map they had spread out on the hood of the car. Rick pointed at an area. "I want to stay off the major highways. If we cut across here we can get on route 29. That takes us all the way to DC, and there's plenty of small towns on the way to look for supplies and gas as we go."

Rick started folding up the map. "I'll keep this with me in the truck and take the lead. You drive the car, Daryl. There's more than a half a tank of gas in each vehicle so we should be good for a while, but if I see an opportunity to get some more I'll pull over."

Daryl nodded and opened the driver's door to get in, stashing his crossbow on the floor of the passenger's side for easy access.

While everyone else loaded the truck with the last of their food and belongings, Beth threw her armload in the car trunk and headed for the passenger door to sit beside Daryl, but Maggie beat her to it. With a pointed look, her sister yanked open the car door and plunked herself on the seat.

Reaching for the back door handle with irritation, Beth watched Glenn get in the other side and nod across the car at a young woman with brown hair standing behind Beth, groaning when she realized she'd be designated to sit in the middle because she was the smallest.

She shimmied over to the center, meeting Daryl's gaze in the rear view mirror and rolling her eyes. He chuckled under his breath at her predicament, and Maggie glared at him. "What are you laughin' at, Dixon?"

He started the car and put it in drive, responding to her evenly. "I ain't laughin' at nothin'."

"Well then wipe that smirk off your face and pay attention to the road." Maggie glared out through the windshield and settled back into her seat.

" _Maggie_." Beth chastised her sister but she was just ignored.

When they got on the road, almost a half hour had passed before anyone spoke because of the tension Maggie brought to the car. The woman sitting next to Beth had been restlessly drumming her fingers on her leg for several miles when she finally spoke. "Ok, I can't take this. It's going to be one long ass road trip if nobody talks." She turned to Beth and smiled, holding out her hand. "My name's Tara. Come here often?"

Beth giggled and shook her hand. "Beth. No, I'm new in town."

"That's cool. I can totally show you around, if you want. We could grab some pizza, maybe go see a movie. I hear Dead Man Walking is back by popular demand."

Beth laughed out loud and covered her mouth to stifle it when Maggie glared over her shoulder.

Daryl looked back at her in the rear view mirror. "She prefers hamburgers," making Beth blush when she saw him smirking.

Tara looked back and forth between them with a little smile. "You guys make a cute couple. How long have you been together?"

Everyone else in the car froze. Beth and Daryl locked eyes briefly in the mirror until he looked away nervously, and Maggie turned around in her seat to level a stare at Tara.

Taking in the dirty look aimed at her, Tara's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, they're not together? Shit, sorry guys. I guess I misread that one."

Glenn looked out his window and snickered until Maggie reached back and pinched his leg. "Ow ow, okay. Sorry."

Maggie was clearly annoyed, and shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable until she growled in frustration at how much room Daryl's crossbow was taking up. "This _thing_ keeps jabbin' me in the knee!"

Beth straightened in her seat to get a look and made an innocent suggestion that came out all kinds of wrong. "Just stick it between your legs."

Tara started to howl with laughter, and even Glenn risked another pinch to the leg by joining her. He raised a disbelieving brow at Beth and she shook her head, mortified. "I didn't mean it like that! You guys are a bunch of perverts," but couldn't help the giggle that came out.

"Oh, I like you." Tara nudged Beth's arm. "We're going to get along just fine."

* * *

Nearly an hour later they passed a large road sign that said 'Welcome to Athens, Georgia Population 119,980', and Daryl pulled up behind Rick when he saw the truck was coming to a stop.

Rick jumped out and stood in the middle of the road, hands on his hips, staring at the on-ramp further up the road that was plugged full of stranded vehicles. He looked up at the overpass, too, but it was just as crowded in either direction.

Everyone got out of the car, and while Tara walked over to the back of the truck to let the others stretch their legs, the other four joined Rick to see what the problem was.

Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and looked at his friend. "What's goin' on?"

Rick let out a troubled breath as Michonne joined then, gesturing at the ramp. "That's the route I wanted to take. But it doesn't look like it's gonna happen."

Shielding his eyes from the sun overhead, Daryl pointed at the road they were already on. There wasn't a car in sight. "What's wrong with this one?"

"Remember we wanted to keep off major highways? That also included stayin' out of cities, or at least anythin' bigger than a small town." He pointed in the direction they'd come from. "You saw the sign back there. Population 120,000? That's a lot of dead people."

Everyone traded worried glances as they pictured what that could mean. Best case scenario…they manage to weave their way through all the abandoned cars and stray walkers and come out on the other side of the city. Worst case scenario….the streets would be too full for them to get through without attracting unwanted attention and they get cornered by a herd.

Michonne pulled out the map and started scanning it. "Can't we just back track and get around it somehow?"

Rick shook his head, pointing at all the side roads they had already passed. "Everythin' else just leads to the Interstate, and that would be even worse."

Beth reached for the map and examined it while Rick spoke. "If we're gonna do this, I'll keep takin' the lead with the truck. I'll be higher up and have a better vantage point for spotting openings for us to get through. This isn't New York City, by any means, but it's big enough, so we need to keep our wits about us to get through it."

Beth passed the map back to him, looking over his shoulder as he showed Daryl the route he'd be taking. "This cuts straight through. We'll follow it and go diagonally across this intersection and then left on Peter Street here. That will lead us right back to 29."

He looked Daryl square in the eye. "Keep as close behind me as you possibly can. If we get separated I'll stay on the street I'm on for as long as I'm able and wait for you."

Daryl nodded once, and everyone started walking back to their respective vehicles. As if they needed a reminder of what waited for them, a large group of walkers started emerging from the woods across the road, trailing after them as they pulled away.

The area they went through first was just scattered subdivisions, and they only had to slow down a couple times to drive over lawns when the road was blocked by cars.

Rick turned right onto the twinned highway that lead into the city, picking carefully around the clusters of vehicles that dotted the road. There weren't many walkers visible, just the odd straggler here and there, and Beth couldn't decide if that was a good sign or not.

The parallel lanes of the highway soon converged into one two lane road as they approached the outskirts of the city, and they drove past dozens of small businesses. Cars were parked haphazardly everywhere and garbage littered the ground, but the undead seemed to be in hiding.

Tara looked out the windows and voiced what everyone was thinking. "This is eerie as fuck. Where are they?"

Daryl kept a firm grip on the wheel as he tailed the truck, steering around a city bus that was blocking part of the road. As he came around the front bumper, a walker stepped up to the car and slammed its hands against Maggie's window, making her scream and jump in her seat.

Daryl yelled at her, furious. "Jesus Christ, Maggie. Put a fuckin' lid on it. I gotta focus here."

She swallowed thickly and settled back into her seat. "Sorry. It won't happen again."

They continued on, the area becoming more densely populated, and the side streets that were lined with older traditional homes now turned into city blocks.

The truck approached the first intersection, Rick steering it up onto the sidewalk to get around a five car pileup. Daryl followed him, and as they creeped along a male walker lingered alongside Tara's window, snarling in at her and smearing its hands over the glass.

She looked up at it with disgust and said, "Go away, douchebag. You're not my type."

Beth put a hand on Tara's knee to get her attention, shaking her head quietly and holding a finger against her lips, and Tara whispered, "Sorry."

They went through one intersection after another, inching around abandoned cars and trucks, and going up over curbs and around when necessary. It seemed like the street would never end, and Maggie finally asked quietly, "How much further before we turn up that one Rick mentioned?"

Beth pulled forward in her seat and looked up through the windshield, pointing at a sign. "That's Lumpkin Street. There's another 4 way after this, and then at the next intersection after that we follow Rick across it diagonally to the right."

They followed the truck to the next one and came across another mass of car wrecks that closed off the street. Rick once again went up over the curb and around a lamp post, the truck rocking from side to side as it dropped down off the sidewalk and back onto the pavement.

Daryl followed suit, but didn't notice how high the curb on the other side was until it was too late. The street sloped down sharply into a storm drain and, when he drove forward, the car's hind end was too low to clear it. The back bumper came to rest solidly on the edge of the sidewalk behind them with one of the wheels hanging just above the ground. Daryl hit the gas, but where the car was rear-wheel drive the one tire just spun against the pavement.

The white truck was getting ahead of them now, and Daryl stepped on the accelerator again until Tara spoke up. "Um, guys, we might want to get going now."

She stabbed her finger against her window and everyone looked to their right, seeing a group of at least a hundred walkers shuffling toward them.

Daryl gave the car more gas but it did nothing. The first couple walkers came up to the passenger side, pressing their decaying faces against the glass, and Glenn put a hand on Daryl's seat, shaking it. "C'mon man. We're going have to leave the car or we'll be trapped in here!"

Daryl slammed the heels of his hands against the steering wheel and looked up into the rear view mirror, locking eyes with Beth. She was still perched forward, her hands grasping the top of each front seat, eyes wide with fear. He spoke only one word, but she knew instantly what he was asking her to do. "Beth." She shook her head slightly, still caught in his gaze, and he reached back, putting his hand on hers.

Glenn started screaming, "We need to go, and we need to go NOW! They're almost here!"

Beth took one last look at Daryl and bowed her head, her stomach twisting with anxiety that she would be the reason they all died if she couldn't do as he asked.

Closing her eyes and trying to block out all the distractions around her, she pictured wrapping her hands underneath the metal lip of the back bumper, and imagined the cool metal digging into her palms. Beth had never moved anything this heavy, but she didn't want to overshoot and flip the car either, so she gritted her teeth and _pushed_ , squeezing the fingers on Daryl's hand so he knew to step on the gas at the same time.

The car lurched forward, both rear wheels spinning against the pavement now, leaving the walkers behind. Glenn slapped Daryl's shoulder with a look of relief on his face, thinking he pulled off a miracle.

Daryl only briefly met Beth's gaze in the mirror again, nodding at her before turning his attention back to catching up with the truck.

It was nearly half a block ahead of them by now, and he darted around cars as quickly as he could to gain ground on them.

The white truck was approaching the last intersection, and it was huge. Cars and trucks littered the expanse between the five streets that lead away from it, and Daryl watched as Rick weaved his vehicle across and turned onto the far right exit.

He stepped harder on the gas but they were still about 30 seconds behind when they heard the sound.

Up ahead, a large herd started moving out into the intersection the truck had just crossed from the street on their immediate right. Daryl floored the car and screamed at everyone to hold on, but the walkers were too far in for them to take the same street as Rick. Several bodies struck the passenger side and their left bumper clipped another vehicle, forcing them to take the road straight ahead of them instead.

Daryl's knuckles were white against the steering wheel while he yelled, "Shit shit shit."

They all watched helplessly as the truck disappeared from their view down the other street.

Maggie had her hands braced against the dash, and there was panic in her voice. "What are we gonna do? We don't know this city! How are we gonna find them with that herd blockin' us?"

Beth leaned forward more until her head was almost next to Daryl's and pointed straight ahead. "It's okay. I know the way. Just keep goin' along here and drive over the river. Then turn right onto Broad Street."

Maggie turned around in her seat and looked at Beth. "How do you know where you're goin'?"

Beth just shrugged at her. "I looked at the map. Figured somebody ought to where Rick kept it with him."

Daryl pushed his shoulder back against her hand and she saw him look in the mirror at her, his eyes filled with pride. She blushed and cleared her throat. "Okay, turn right here and follow that street until it ends."

She navigated him through a couple subdivisions before they reached the spot she wanted.

Beth nodded ahead of them. "That's Peter Street. Should probably go right first and see if they're waiting for us where they first turned on to it."

Sure enough, Rick sat behind the wheel of his vehicle, anxiously watching his side mirror for signs of them when they pulled up in front of the truck.

Rick leaned out the window while Daryl backed the car up into a driveway to get turned around. "Where were you?"

Daryl rolled his down to answer, shaking his head. "We'll explain later. Let's get the hell outta here before that herd catches up to us."

Rick lifted a hand in agreement and started driving, leading them away from the city. They rolled all the windows down in the car once green fields started flashing by, letting the wind blow in around them.

Tara sprawled back in her seat. "Holy shit. That was intense." She smirked and reached down, tugging on the fabric of Beth's scrubs. "You need new pants, and _I_ need new underwear 'cause I'm pretty sure I crapped myself twice back there."

Beth giggled, and even Maggie looked over her shoulder and smiled at her and Glenn. Leaning forward, Beth braced her elbows on the front seats. "You done good, ."

Maggie folded her arms and looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. "Yeah. Not bad, Daryl."

"Mmmm." He rested his elbow on the door and stared ahead, brushing off the compliments, and Beth grinned, leaning back against her seat with a contented sigh.

 **Just your average road trip in the ZA...**

 **Please let me know what you thought of the chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

Soon after leaving the city they came across a small town.

Rick pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall where 9 cars were still parked neatly in their spaces. Daryl drove in behind him and swung around, facing the car toward the road in case they needed to make a quick exit.

Everybody got out to walk around and decompress after the tension of the last hour except Eugene. He was still laying inside the truck, his head propped up on a towel, face swollen. Rick stepped around him to grab three large gas jugs and a plastic hose, calling out instructions as he came back out. "Sasha, Abraham, you two take watch, one on either end of the parkin' lot. Tyreese and Noah, you're with me. I want to siphon as much gas out of these cars as we can."

He looked over the run-down storefronts of the mini mall. "Everyone else, have a look inside and see if there's anythin' worth takin', but let's be quick. We'll make one more stop in town, if it looks safe, and see if there's any food before gettin' on the road again."

Carl held on to Judith and stayed close to the truck while the rest split up to investigate. The end unit was empty, and next to it was Danielsville Plumbing and Heating, which didn't seem like it would be a jackpot but Michonne and Rosita decided to check it out anyway.

Beth eyed the window next to it with some excitement. It read PJ's Quality Used Clothing and she glanced behind her at Maggie and Tara, still wary of opening up to her sister after the words they'd exchanged, but deciding she should try. "Help me find some new clothes?"

"Hell yes." Tara grabbed her by the shoulders and started steering her toward the door. "You're like the apocalypse's version of What Not to Wear. Maggie and I can definitely do better, can't we?"

Beth looked back at Maggie, who rolled her eyes but smiled at her sister tentatively.

While Tara banged on the glass to see if any walkers were inside, Beth looked over, seeing Daryl and Glenn doing the same next door, and she stepped back to read the sign…Edgar's Hunting and Fishing Supplies. She giggled and looked over at Daryl, "Say hi to Edgar for me."

Daryl snorted. "I'm hopin' he ain't home."

She was still smiling when Tara hauled her through the door, Maggie following and raising an eyebrow at her sister. "Stop flirtin', Beth."

Beth shrugged and didn't say anything, instead walking up to a bin of clothing to start sorting through it.

Maggie leaned against it and rifled through the different T-shirts. "You're not bein' very responsible."

Beth threw down the ugly shirt she'd been looking at and eyed her sister. "This comin' from a girl who had sex with a complete stranger in some dirty old pharmacy."

Maggie's jaw dropped open in anger. "Glenn is a good man."

"So is Daryl." Beth was getting more violent with the clothes as she went through them.

Her sister growled out her next words. "He's twice your age. You should know better."

Beth looked up with a surprised expression. "Oh, it's just his age that's the issue?"

Maggie nodded haughtily, so Beth braced her hands on the side of the bin and stared across it. "So, you must have a _huge_ problem with Abraham and…." She snapped her fingers, unable to think of the name.

Tara called it out from across the room. "Rosita."

Beth stabbed her finger in the air. "Rosita! Yes, thank you." She turned back to Maggie with great interest. "So do you have an issue with Abraham and Rosita? Because he's gotta be more than twice her age, too."

Maggie folded her arms and wandered over to another bin with a sour look, but Beth followed her, unwilling to let it go. "Because if you're _not_ bothered by their relationship then you need to ask yourself what the difference is."

Beth came to stand beside her sister, giving herself a moment to breathe and calm down, and spoke quietly. "Look, Maggie, I don't _know_ if anythin' is even gonna come of me and Daryl. Nothin' has happened yet. But if you have any respect for me at all, then you have to let me make my own decisions, and if need be, my own mistakes."

She suddenly became very emotional as she considered the weight of what she would say next, and her voice cracked. "I want my sister back, but if you don't respect me then I really don't know where we can go from that."

Maggie looked down at her hands, and when she turned to face Beth her chin was trembling. She opened her mouth, struggling with the words until they came out in a faint whisper. "I already lost you once. If I lost you again…" She sucked in a ragged breath and took Beth's hands in hers. "I'll try be more understandin', Beth. But if he hurts you in any way he's gonna have to answer to me. Okay?"

Beth smiled back at her and squeezed her sister's hands. "Okay. But he'd have to answer to me first. I'm not sure he'd survive _two_ Greene sisters rakin' him over the coals."

Maggie laughed at Beth, and Tara walked over with a pile of clothing in her arms. "Alright alright. Your sisterly bonding is messing with the mission here. Time's a tickin' and we still have nothing for Beth, and she is _not_ walking out of here in those scrubs."

Ten minutes later Beth pulled up a pair of black skinny jeans and took a shirt that Tara passed to her with a grin. Confused, she held it up but it just looked like a plain light grey t-shirt until she turned it around. It had Rolling Stones written on the front and an obnoxious red mouth and tongue below it. She rolled her eyes and looked at Tara with a laugh. "Really?"

"It's sexy. And the v-neck makes your boobs look bigger."

Beth wasn't going to argue with that, so she pulled it over her head, grateful that Maggie was on the other side of the store taking a jacket off its hanger and didn't hear Tara's commentary.

Tara was buckling an old sturdy leather belt around Beth's hips when Maggie gave her the jean jacket to try on. It was a deep blue color and fit her like a glove, hitting just at the waist.

Beth slipped her sneakers back on and stood in front of the mirror, satisfied, turning to get their approval. Tara stood next to Maggie and whistled. "You look hot."

Maggie elbowed her and tried to look stern. "Yeah yeah. Don't give her a big head," but winked at Beth.

Tara walked over and put an arm around Beth, squeezing her shoulders. "Stacy and Clinton would be so proud." She started to guide her to the door but Beth gasped and reached around, grabbing the leather jacket she had been wearing from the bin.

Maggie's eyebrows shot up and she looked at it, curious. Beth clutched it to her chest defensively. "It's Daryl's. I was cold so he let me wear it."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Tara grinned and nudged Maggie as she went through the door. "Isn't that sweet, Maggie?"

Tara only got a strangled groan for an answer and laughed. The two of them walked toward the truck, leaving Beth behind as Daryl came outside. He was carrying two pairs of boots and he looked nervous. "These are for you. Figured you'd want somethin' better than them sneakers you got on."

She smiled up at him, touched at the gesture as he shifted his weight, holding the boots out for her. "Wasn't sure which size you'd take, but they're supposed to be really comfortable. And they're waterproof too."

Beth took one and turned it over in her hands excitedly. They were a rich black leather, like an army style lace-up boot, but a lot more padded and with an impressive tread at the bottom. "Thank you so much, Daryl. I love them."

She set one down on the ground to try it on, but Daryl stopped her. "Got you these, too." He pulled a pair of wool socks out from under his arm. "Remembered you liked wearin' them with your cowboy boots."

Beth blinked up at him, surprised that he remembered that small a detail, and couldn't stop herself from reaching her arms up around his neck and whispering, "Thanks."

He hesitated before putting his hands around her waist, and she understood he was probably self-conscious with the rest of the group there, so she stepped back slowly and said it again. "Thank you."

Daryl shrugged a shoulder and ducked his head briefly. "S'nothin'."

Beth tilted her head and met his gaze, speaking to him very gently. "No. It's much more than nothin' to me, Daryl. Maybe some time you should give 'you're welcome' a try…see how it feels on."

He peered at her through the hair hanging in front of his eyes, nodding, and she grinned, kicking off her sneakers. Beth pulled on each wool sock and then selected the size of boot that looked right. She laced them up, walking away from Daryl and then back again, suddenly grabbing the bottom of her jacket and tugging on it self-consciously. "Does this look okay?"

Truthfully, her clothes were the first thing he'd noticed but he looked again to satisfy her and nodded, trying not to be too obvious as he swallowed nervously over how the outfit hugged her curves. And now, with her new boots on, it looked like her legs went on for miles.

Daryl drew in a shaky breath and answered as nonchalantly as he could. "Looks alright."

Beth smiled and bent down to pick up his leather jacket where she'd laid it, holding it out to him. "Here."

Daryl paused and reached inside his vest. "Found somethin' else for ya, too." He pulled it out and laid it across his hand for her to see.

It was a proper hunting knife with a 5 inch blade, but what made Beth gasp was the handle. It was a beautiful ebony with running horses carved across it. There was a barn etched into the background, too, with a small figure leaning up against a fence watching them run. It could have been her father. She picked it up, tracing her fingers over the handle, feeling tears welling in her eyes as she thought back to her Dad and the farm.

Daryl watched her, growing more anxious when she didn't say anything. He leaned down to look at her face, worried over her reaction. "If you don't like it we can go in and find you another one. S'no big deal."

Beth looked up at him, brought out of her reverie, and blinked the tears back. "Nobody's ever pryin' this outta my hand, Daryl Dixon. It's beautiful." Beth shook her head, her voice faltering when she spoke. "Thank you."

He held her gaze and nodded once, almost opening his mouth to brush it off but he stopped himself and said, "You're welcome."

Beth nodded proudly at him and giggled, snapping the sheath onto her belt with great care.

As they started walking back to the truck he said something in a low voice. "There's one more thing I got you, but it's a surprise." He saw the way her eyes got big again and held up his hand. "It's nothin' huge, so don't get too excited about it."

She looked down at her new boots as they walked, smiling and peeking up at him. "What is it, Daryl? Come on…."

He just shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Nah, not tellin' ya. All I'm gonna say is it'll make you look badass. That's all you're getting' outta me."

Beth was still puzzling over it when they reunited with the group, and Rick did a head count to make sure everyone was back. "Alright. We caught some luck with the gas. A couple of the cars had full tanks so we're good for a while. Let's make a quick stop in town and see how we make out with findin' food."

Everyone got back in their respective vehicle, Beth coming around to the passenger side again and reaching for the back door but Maggie got to the handle first, and with a defeated sigh bumped her hip against her younger sister's to push her toward the front door. Beth mouthed 'thank you' at her with a grin and got in beside Daryl.

A few minutes later they coasted to a stop at one end of the town, sitting in their vehicles and looking down the main street, watching for any suspicious activity or walkers. Several bodies were scattered on the pavement, some half eaten, but there were no other signs of the living or the undead.

Rick drove past the small shops slowly, keeping an eye on the rooftops, and pulled up onto the sidewalk outside a small grocery store.

Daryl parked behind him and got out with his crossbow, waiting for Beth before he approached Rick, who was already checking the door. Still locked. Daryl banged his fist on the front window and turned around while they waited for any walkers inside to make themselves known, tapping Rick's arm and nodding his head at a pharmacy across the street. The windows were broken but there was still some product visible inside.

The rest gathered around Rick, waiting to hear the plan, and he called out his orders, "Carl and Sasha, take watch, both directions. Tyreese, can you stay with Judith?"

The big man looked relieved and hung his hammer back on his belt, taking the little girl from Carl.

Rick went on. "Michonne and I, Beth and Daryl will take the grocery store. Abraham, you take the rest over and check out that pharmacy."

Weapons were pulled out, but before Glenn followed the others across to the pharmacy Daryl said something to him in a low voice. Beth saw Glenn look over at her before nodding at Daryl, and she watched him walk away.

Curious, she turned to Daryl as they walked into the store. "What was that about?"

Daryl lifted his crossbow and positioned himself ahead of her as they started a sweep of the store. "Tell you later. Stay focused."

There were only five aisles, and Beth drew her knife, scanning the shelves as they went. The cleaning section was the only one that remained untouched. Everything else was gone except for the food left to rot in the freezers and the meat case.

Rick and Michonne joined them at the front, shaking their heads, and Beth walked by the two checkouts that were splattered with dried blood, trying to imagine what must have gone on here. Why was the store locked if all the food was gone?

Beth put a hand on Daryl's arm, gesturing at the door she saw at the back, and he nodded, taking the lead.

It was a single swing door, and he looked through the cloudy window into the store's back room, pushing through slowly.

The smell hit them first. There were three decomposing bodies on the floor wearing what must have been store uniforms once, all shot in the head. Beth put her hand over her nose and watched Daryl reach down to take a gun from one of the corpse's hands.

He checked the chamber, finding 3 bullets left, and tucked it into the back of his pants. "Must've killed themselves. Didn't happen that long ago, neither. Still don't get where all the food went, though."

Beth spotted a couple opened cans over by the large door where they would have received their deliveries and unwrapped the chain from the hook on the wall, pulling it down so the door rose up.

Outside, there was a mountain of empty cans and packages, and in the corner against a cement wall, the withered body of what looked like an older man dressed in a shirt and tie. He had a bullet hole in his forehead.

She let the door drop down, feeling nauseous, and walked briskly past the bodies to knock on the door marked Office. Beth held her knife up and pushed it open, looking around the room until her gaze came to rest on a wire cage against the far wall.

She laughed and looked over her shoulder at Daryl. "If we have bolt cutters, you're going to be one happy guy."

Daryl came over to see what Beth was looking at, and she pointed at the cage. It was stuffed full of cartons of assorted cigars and cigarettes, but upon closer inspection, there were also cases of chocolate bars stacked along one side.

"Jesus Christ." Daryl walked over and looked at the lock. The scratches and damage around the keyhole suggested the employees must have tried to get in, maybe even shot at it, but the lock and cage were meant to deter theft and proved too much for what other meager tools they had.

Beth put her knife back in her sheath and stared in at the chocolate. It wasn't proper food, but she couldn't wait to get them out and show the rest of their group, knowing they'd go nuts for a treat like this.

Daryl left to go see what tools they had in the truck, and while Beth waited she realized Rick and Michonne must have gone outside, too.

She wandered through the small back shop on her own, looking up at the racking extending all the way to the ceiling that once held pallets of stock. As Beth got to the farthest corner she squinted up into the darkness, seeing one pallet left at the very top, fifty feet above. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, Beth made out the shapes of the 5 gallon jugs of water that were sold for water coolers.

Beth examined the metal racking, trying to figure out how to get them down. Even if someone were able to climb up, the jugs were far too heavy and cumbersome to carry one handed. They'd probably get hurt trying.

She spotted the small forklift and tried the key, but the battery light didn't come on.

Rubbing her hands on her jeans nervously, Beth looked around, making sure she was still alone.

They needed that water. What little they'd brought with them from the church was almost gone, and it wasn't something they could go without for days.

Keeping her ears peeled for the sound of anyone returning, Beth tilted her head and watched the first jug lift up while she concentrated on it, carefully lowering it and setting it at her feet before going for another. Her fifth jug was still in the air when she heard voices from the front of the store.

Beth started to panic as they grew closer, abandoning her careful approach and bringing it down too fast, holding her breath and willing it not to crash into the concrete floor. The jug landed with a bounce and she grabbed its top, just bringing it to rest as Rick and Daryl came through the swing door with bolt cutters.

Beth shoved her hands in her pockets and gave them a tight-lipped smile when they saw her and walked over, saying casually. "Found some water."

Daryl looked up at the pallet high above and then at Beth, who was biting her lip.

Ricked hooked his thumbs on his belt and cocked his head, looking back at the bodies on the floor. "Huh. Weird they didn't drink it."

"Yeah. Weird." Beth tugged on her earlobe and grabbed the handle of a low flat cart nearby, wheeling it over and loading the water on it. "I'll take it outside. Now, go get us some chocolate."

Beth smiled as she pushed the cart through the door, blowing out a long breath as she left them, hating the lying that went hand in hand with this thing she could do.

She had a sudden revelation while walking up the aisle, though. This _thing_ , what was it…telekinesis? Beth shook her head and snorted at the term. She'd never been one for sci-fi stuff like that, so she wasn't even sure. But what gave her pause was how it was starting to feel normal to her. That she almost used it now without thinking. It didn't frighten her, she just knew she needed to be careful.

What frightened Beth was what happened when she got angry. The rage she felt, and that terrible heat that always started in her hands. It didn't really seem to serve a purpose, but she was glad she'd been able to reel the anger back in each time if only because the feeling of losing control _did_ scare her.

Beth wheeled the cart out to the sidewalk. Abraham and his group were back so she left it to them to load into the truck and went back inside, taking a grocery cart with her for the contents of the cage. Rick and Daryl were just pulling the door open when she returned.

They passed the chocolate to Beth first, smirking at the way she bounced with excitement over it, and then the tobacco. Daryl ripped a case open and tucked a few cartons inside his vest before they left the store.

There were a lot of smiles when they revealed their findings. Abraham opened up a pack of cigars and dragged one underneath his nose, inhaling deeply. "Come to Daddy." Everyone else dug down to get at the chocolate.

Maggie laughed and reached in, pulling out a Hershey bar and tossing it to her sister. "Here, Bethy. Your favorite."

Beth caught it with a smile and held it under her nose just like Abraham, closing her eyes and breathing in the sweet smell. Nearly everyone was opening their own, but she put it in her jacket pocket, noticing Daryl was watching her. "I'm gonna save it for later. Make it last."

She looked in the back of the truck to see what Michonne was doing, and smiled even brighter when she saw the woman was looking over a few cases of baby food and diapers they must have found in the pharmacy. Maybe their luck was finally turning.

Everything was loaded and Rick was calling for them to move on. Beth got back in the car, smiling up at Daryl as he carefully tucked his crossbow in next to her legs.

She leaned her head back against the seat as they pulled away, and the comforting sounds of her family softly bickering in the back seat over whose chocolate bar was best lulled her into sleep.

 **So we have a tentative truce between our sisters. I didn't want to drag the tension on for too long, Maggie just isn't a bad person, but I think if they'd had an actual reunion on the show there likely would have been some issues, if only Maggie feeling guilt over assuming Beth was dead.**  
 **Please leave a comment. I'd love to know what you thought of the chapter!**


	19. Chapter 19

The sound of the car's tires hitting gravel woke Beth.

She sat up straight in her seat, wondering how long she'd slept, and looked up at the sun's position in the sky. It was late afternoon.

She glanced over at Daryl as he put the car in park. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sleep that long."

Daryl shrugged and grabbed his crossbow. "Don't worry about it. You snored just loud enough to keep me awake."

Beth's mouth dropped open as he pulled the latch on his door and got out, but when he leaned down to looked in the window she could see the smirk on his face.

She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him. "I do not snore, Daryl Dixon."

She stepped out of the car and looked around. Rick had chosen a secluded rest stop for them to spend the night. There were no houses in sight, just forest on either side, but she thought she saw a lake through the trees across the road.

Daryl joined Rick at the back of the truck as he lifted up the door, letting the rest of their group out.

Beth saw Noah jump down carefully on his good leg and stretch, and she walked over to join him as everyone milled around. "Hey. You hangin' in there?"

Noah grimaced as he tried to work the kinks out from being cooped up for most of the day. "Yeah." He leaned against the side of the truck and rubbed his neck, speaking in a softer voice. "Your family, they seem like good people."

Beth smiled. "They are. There's still a few I need to get to know, but they seem okay." She watched Abraham and Rosita sit down at one of the picnic tables, but didn't see Eugene. He must still be in the truck.

"I'm just grateful to be here." He folded his arms and looked down at his feet solemnly. "I got no one left, so…I don't know where I woulda gone if I hadn't wound up with you guys."

"Hey." Beth put a hand on his arm, waiting for Noah to look up at her. "You're the reason I found my way back to them, so _we're_ grateful you're here." She smiled up at him reassuringly. "And they're not just my family anymore, they're yours, too."

Noah nodded and smiled at Beth timidly.

She gave his arm a squeeze and walked to the rear of the truck where Daryl and Rick were looking in at the small pile of canned goods left.

Rick's hands were on his hips and he looked worried. "I had hoped we'd find more food today. That's not gonna go very far with a group this size. And we've got another couple days' drive yet. Maybe more."

Daryl loaded his crossbow and nodded at Beth. "We'll see what we can find if somebody wants to get a fire started."

"Alright." Rick waved them off. "Think I'll fill the gas tanks, too, before it gets dark, so we can get off to a quick start in the mornin'."

Beth followed Daryl into the woods and they walked quietly for over a mile, but didn't see any signs of wildlife. All the scat they came across looked weeks old.

Daryl looked back at Beth, and she could tell he was getting frustrated. He enjoyed the hunting, and being the sole provider for the group when other resources failed was a weight he didn't mind bearing as long as game could be found, but when it was scarce he hated returning empty handed.

He adjusted his crossbow in his hands and stopped for a minute. "See anythin'?"

Beth shook her head and sighed. "I don't get it. All these woods and nothin'?"

"Mmmm." Daryl looked at the forest floor around him. "Used to be. It's like somethin's picked it clean."

Beth opened her mouth to say something but there was a faint noise in the woods nearby; a noise that seemed familiar for some reason, but she couldn't put a finger on why.

She paused, turning to the direction she thought it came from and waited, holding her breath and staring into the trees. Daryl came to stand beside her without a word and followed her gaze, but the woods were eerily silent.

She exhaled quietly, her hand having come to rest on the hilt of her knife without thinking.

Daryl raised his brows at Beth's puzzled expression and she shrugged. "Thought I heard somethin'." She let her hand fall back to her side. "Just bein' paranoid, I guess."

"What do you mean?" He looked at her, curious.

"I'm not sure what it was." Beth shrugged again, still feeling unsettled. "More of a bad feelin' than anythin' else."

Daryl nodded and looked back into the woods one more time, chewing on his lip thoughtfully, and jerked his head in the direction they'd been heading. "C'mon. We'll just go a little further and then turn back. We're startin' to lose the light."

After a few minutes they stepped into an open field covered with tall grass. They both scanned the area, hoping to find some prey, and Daryl spotted it first. A deer was grazing about 150 feet away, her back only just visible over the top of the grass.

Daryl crouched down slightly, his crossbow raised, taking slow careful steps to try and get closer without spooking her into flight. They had only advanced about twenty feet when her head shot up, ears twitching as she chewed, a mild breeze blowing the long grass around her in waves.

They froze in their tracks, and Beth knew they would have to get closer for Daryl to get an accurate shot. If he missed they'd have next to nothing for their supper and he'd be down to two bolts if one got lost in the grass.

Daryl took another step, his foot pressing down on a dried twig hiding underneath, and the snap made the doe stand even taller. She turned her head and was looking right at them now, ears pricked forward, not chewing any more as she weighed the danger.

He squeezed the trigger just as the deer made its first leap to begin bounding away. The bolt landed on the side of her rump, not a kill shot, and Daryl cursed as the doe continued her escape over the field. He started loading his crossbow again, prepared to track it, but Beth put her hand on his arm.

"Just wait."

In the short time she was in high school, biology was never Beth's strongest subject. In fact, next to math, it was probably her worst. Regardless, as the daughter of a veterinarian she knew approximately where the heart would be in the deer's chest. There was no debate in her mind if what she was considering was possible or not; she only listened to the instinct that told her it was.

Beth looked across the field and pictured the heart pumping inside the doe's ribcage as the animal sprung upward. She imagined the muscular walls contracting, its chambers emptying and filling, and she willed the organ to stop. Stop pumping blood. Stop beating. Just stop.

The doe took one final leap into the air and descended gracelessly in the long grass, disappearing from sight.

Daryl had just finished loading his crossbow but he lowered it, squinting at Beth. She looked at him with a blank stare and started making her way across the field without a word.

Beth didn't remember walking through the grass, or hearing Daryl follow her. She didn't recall the times she stumbled or swatted a fly away from her face. Her entire body was numb when she found the deer.

Beth dropped to her knees beside it, reaching a hand out and laying it on the doe's shoulder, trying to grasp what she'd just done.

Daryl swung his crossbow over his shoulder and examined the body, unsure of what to say.

Beth pulled her hand back in her lap, her face frozen in disbelief. "I…I stopped her heart. I stopped her heart, Daryl."

"You saved her from a lot of pain."

Her eyes darted up to meet his, and he crouched down, nodding at the bolt protruding from the doe's hind quarters. "If she'd gotten away, she woulda suffered with that. Probably died a bad death. You made it quick and painless, even if it did scare ya that you were able to."

Beth swallowed and looked back at the deer, nodding and taking the hand he offered to help her up. Daryl pulled out the bolt and glanced around. "Might as well dress it here," and dropped the crossbow onto the grass.

"Um, Daryl?"

"Mmmm." He pulled out his knife and started to make the first cut.

"Maybe you should shoot it again first, but in the right place this time?" Beth felt silly suggesting it, but if it prevented questions when they got back, then so be it.

Daryl looked up at her, puzzled, but caught on when he saw her shrug. Not that anyone would examine it too closely, but if they did, it was unlikely that the deer died from just a shot to the ass.

He picked up the crossbow and fired a bolt into its lungs, snorting as he bent over again to continue dressing it. "Ain't never had to shoot a dead deer before."

Beth folded her arms and kept watch while he worked, sighing as she said, "First time for everythin', ."

Ten minutes later Daryl was done. He slung his Stryker over his shoulder, grabbing the front feet while Beth took the hind ones, and they were soon back to camp.

While Daryl started cutting up the deer to be roasted over the fire, Beth walked over to the car to grab their bedding before it got dark. Tara came over as she closed the trunk and asked, "What's up?"

Beth smiled back at her but the crinkling of a wrapper from the back of the truck distracted her from replying. It was Eugene, hunched over a chocolate bar.

They walked closer and saw the pile of wrappers at his feet, and as he took another bite Tara yelled at him. " _Eugene_. What the hell?"

He chewed with his mouth open, looking up at her guiltily as a few others came over to see what was wrong. "I admit, I enjoyed some, but so did you all."

"We each had _one_ , Eugene." Tara reached in and separated the wrappers roughly. "Not eight."

His eyes darted up at her and then down at his last bite, which he shoved in his mouth and talked around. "I will not apologize for bein' hungry."

"We're all hungry, dumbass." Abraham reached in and hauled him out by the arm, even though Eugene flinched as he grabbed him. "Doesn't mean we steal food that's meant for everybody."

Rosita lead him over to a picnic table and pushed him down beside her, where he sat with a sullen expression. Beth turned to Tara, her eyebrows raised, not quite knowing what to make of him.

Tara let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "Eugene really is a nice guy. He's just not the type who handles roughing it very well."

Beth glanced doubtfully at the strange man as she walked over to join Daryl, and spread out the sleeping bag and blanket close to the fire.

Daryl was just laying out the pieces of venison to cook, so she joined Maggie and Glenn who were on their way to the lake to get cleaned up. She hooked her arm through her sister's. "Mind if I come? Unless you two wanna be alone?"

Maggie smiled tiredly and said, "You don't have to worry about that. We're both too exhausted. It's been a couple days since we had any real sleep to speak of."

When they got down to the shore line Glenn offered to let them go first, but Beth shook her head and went to stand up by a tree, turning her back. "No, you guys go ahead. I'll keep watch."

Beth folded her arms and looked through the trees, just barely able to see Daryl where he stood over the fire, wiping his hands on his red rag.

Clothes were discarded behind her and Maggie squealed from the temperature of the water, making Beth giggle, and the sound must have carried because Daryl's head snapped up. His eyes zeroed in on her where she leaned against the tree, and she held his gaze. Even across this distance she could feel the pull between them.

Someone asked Daryl a question, breaking his focus on her, and Beth glanced cautiously over her shoulder when the splashing in the water stopped. Maggie's arms were wrapped around Glenn's neck, and she whispered something as he brushed strands of wet hair off her cheek.

Beth felt a rush of envy and turned away, making eye contact with Daryl again and wondering what his skin would feel like against hers.

A few minutes later, Beth heard Maggie and Glenn wading to the shore and waited patiently for them to get dressed. She couldn't see Daryl anymore, and when Maggie finally touched her arm she scampered to the water's edge, checking to make sure Glenn was turned around before hastily stripping down to her faded bra and panties.

Beth dipped a cautious foot in the water and shuddered at how cold it was.

She waded in carefully, the water almost up to her behind when she heard a gruff voice calling out behind her. "Thought I told you let me know when you're steppin' away from the group? Shouldn't be out here on your own…"

Beth spun around in shock, seeing Daryl ducking under a branch and coming to an abrupt halt when he saw she was almost naked. His eyes went wide before he squeezed them shut, turning around and covering them with his hands, muttering, "Jesus Christ."

Shrieking with embarrassment, Beth dunked herself down in the water so only her head and shoulders were visible, gasping from the sudden cold.

Maggie looked annoyed at first, but a cheeky grin spread across her face at how mortified Daryl was seeing her sister with next to nothing on. He ground his palms into his eyes and kept on swearing. "Fuck. FUCK. M'sorry."

Maggie lead Glenn over, jabbing a finger into Daryl's shoulder and resisting the urge to cackle evilly when he peeked at her through his fingers. "You watch over my little sister while she cleans up."

She turned to leave and Daryl dropped his hands in a panic. "What? Hell no. I ain't stayin' here."

Maggie pointed her finger at him with authority and he focused on it like it was a snake about to bite him. "Anythin' happens to her while she's under your watch and you answer to me. You hear?"

Daryl nodded reluctantly and put his hands back over his eyes, feeling even more guilt as the image of Beth in just her bra and panties flashed on the back of his eyelids.

Beth had moved out to deeper water, watching her sister speaking to Daryl and fearing the worst, but when Maggie and Glenn started walking away she froze, realizing they were leaving her and Daryl alone. "Maggie!"

She saw Glenn give Daryl an apologetic look, and her older sister lifted her hand up in the air, smiling over her shoulder. "See you back at camp, Bethy."

Beth groaned and hurriedly scrubbed herself, taking out the elastic in her ponytail and dunking her hair in the water, working the tangles out with her fingers. Daryl was still standing with his back to her, hands covering his face, and she rolled her eyes. Fat lot of good it would do having him on watch like that if a threat came along.

She called out to him, "Daryl, you can turn around. I'm completely in the water now."

He still didn't move, and she huffed with annoyance as she pulled apart a knot in her hair. "You're not gonna be able to save me or yourself from a walker if you're standin' there with your eyes shut."

Daryl turned around begrudgingly, refusing to look in her direction as she kept scrubbing.

Beth ran her hands over her stomach, and dammit if her thoughts didn't go back to the dream she had this morning when it was _his_ hand travelling across the skin there. She bit down on her lip thinking about his mouth and fingers playing with her nipples, and suddenly the water didn't seem so cold anymore.

Beth lowered her panties a bit to wash down below and slipped a finger between her legs, feeling the slickness there that had nothing to do with the water; her breath hitching as she pressed a fingertip against her clit. Turning around so Daryl couldn't see her face, she toyed with the idea of masturbating while he stood, oblivious, only twenty feet away, but decided against it. That's all she needed was him thinking she was drowning if she had an orgasm, and charging into the water to save her.

Beth sighed and cursed her hormones. She liked the playful banter that she and Daryl had, and she would never trade their friendship for anything, but she couldn't let go of the idea that it could be more. And that it would be _good_. She knew it would be. If only he'd stop fighting the feelings she knew he had for her.

Her gut told her she would need to be the one to initiate the next step in their relationship, and she was okay with that, but how to go about it was another thing.

Beth finished washing and pulled up her panties, feeling frustrated. "I'm comin' out now."

Darryl spun around to face the trees again, one hand covering his eyes while the other adjusted the front of his pants.

Beth stepped gingerly over the pebbles lining the shore and squeezed into her jeans, hopping up and down to make them fit where her skin was wet. She pulled her boots and the rest of her clothes on, and walked over to Daryl, shivering.

He still had his hand up and she tugged it away gently, smirking. "I know I'm too skinny, but did I look _that_ bad?"

Daryl's face was awash with guilt, and he still wouldn't meet her gaze. "Beth, I…."

"It's okay." Beth shook her head, not wanting him to keep beating himself up over it. "You didn't know," she glanced down at her chest with a wry look, "it's not like I've got much to hide, anyway."

His eyes darted to her downcast face while they walked back, and he blurted out, "I never liked big tits."

Beth giggled and looked up at his red cheeks, hardly believing what he'd just said. "Really?"

Daryl stared ahead, clearly embarrassed. "Nah." He shrugged a shoulder. "Just get in the way."

Beth smiled down at the ground, feeling her own face getting flushed, and not really caring.

* * *

It had been dark for several hours, and everyone was spread out around the fire when Rick came to get Daryl to take watch.

He and Beth made their way to the far picnic table that had the best view of the site, and sat on top next to each other. Daryl faced the fire and the road, and Beth covered the woods, leaning her back against his shoulder.

There was no moon out, and other than the stars the only source of light was the dying fire; anything beyond its reach was swallowed by the night. Beth waited for her eyes to adjust to the pitch black in the woods, but it was impossible to see anything so instead she focused on the sounds she heard; the buzzing of the insects and the leaves fluttering from the light breeze coming off the lake.

A couple hours passed, and by then the wind had died down to nothing, making the crickets around them seem that much louder. The sound of them comforted Beth. It made her think back to the farm where their fields were always filled with them.

When she was really small, she had wanted one for a pet so bad, but whenever she got close they would all go silent and be impossible to find. Shawn had found her one day in the long grass with an open jar clutched in one hand, snot running out of her nose and sobbing uncontrollably because she couldn't catch one.

Beth smiled at the memory…God, how she missed her brother, and leaned forward to stretch her back but paused because something was different. The crickets had all stopped, and the woods had gone utterly quiet.

She reached her hand back for Daryl's arm, but he was already standing next to the picnic table, staring into the trees. They both waited, ears straining to hear whatever movement had silenced the crickets.

From the woods on the far side of their camp site came the faint sound of dried leaves being crunched underfoot, and immediately after, the same noise Beth had heard and been unable to identify earlier came from their right.

This time it sparked a memory.

It was the sound of someone spitting chaw. One summer, her Daddy had hired a local man to help with the haying, and he was always spitting out that dark disgusting juice. It had made Beth's stomach turn, but that disgust was now replaced by fear because it left no doubt in her mind.

They were being watched.

 **Uh oh. Being watched isn't usually a good sign.**

 **It was fun to write Daryl's reaction to stumbling across Beth in just her skivvies. The poor guy never saw it coming.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of the chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

Beth quietly eased herself off the picnic table despite the adrenaline flooding her veins, and she and Daryl travelled in a low crouch over to the others. She kept an eye on the treeline for any signs of movement while he approached Rick.

Daryl shook the man's shoulder to wake him, holding a finger to his own lips to let Rick know he needed to listen. He spoke so softly that Beth almost couldn't hear it standing next to him.

"We got eyes on us, Rick. In the woods, "he held up two fingers, "two for sure, maybe more."

Any trace of the weariness lining Rick's face disappeared as he listened, his features hardening into the familiar controlled mask when danger presented itself. He rolled to his feet and spoke to Daryl and Beth in a whisper. "Wake everyone, but keep them calm and quiet."

He cocked the hammer on his Python. "We need to get in the vehicles as quickly as possible and get out of here."

The fire was down to embers now as the three of them woke the group one by one. Despite their silence there was an undercurrent of panic and nervous glances at the woods while everyone hurriedly grabbed their belongings and headed for the vehicles.

Michonne was the closest to the truck when she stopped and held an arm out to prevent Rick from passing her. She turned to him with wide eyes. "You smell that?"

The fumes hit them a split second before a ball of fire erupted underneath the truck. Flames and smoked billowed out, fed by the fuel still spilling from the bottom of the gas tank. The flash of light and heat made them all take a step back, the glow illuminating the shock on their faces.

"Everyone stay together!" Rick barked out the order and glanced over his shoulder. "And keep an eye behind us! Shoot at anything that moves."

Abraham and Rosita had just raised their weapons at the woods when a lit match was thrown through the darkness from the other side of the car. It landed beside it, igniting the gas spilt beneath the sedan's undercarriage, as well.

Both vehicles were ablaze now, flames licking up the sides. It was only luck that Daryl hadn't parked the car too close. There was just enough room for them to get through single file and out onto the road, but whether that was good fortune or a carefully designed ploy to take each of them down as they passed between the vehicles was yet to be seen.

Rick pressed the butt of his gun against his forehead, trying to decide on their best plan. He spoke in a low voice to the frightened people around him. "Alright. Keep your weapons up, we need to get out on the road."

Carl held a sleeping Judith in his arms, and Rick put a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye. "Stay close. I'll go first."

Rick walked between the burning vehicles, gun raised, and looked left and right before disappearing into the darkness on the other side. Carl darted through with Michonne directly behind him, her katana poised to strike at whatever threat might be waiting for them.

Daryl passed through next with his crossbow at the ready and Beth held her knife up, shielding her face from the intense heat coming off the truck as she hurried after him.

Seconds later they were all grouped together, their weapons aimed into the night around them.

Rick looked up the road. It was a long straight stretch, and he made a decision. "Alright, people. Now we run. If they're in the woods, they won't be able to travel as fast. We need to put as much distance between them and us as we can."

The group started jogging in the direction they would have driven in the morning, and Beth hoped they weren't being driven into a new trap. There was no way of knowing how many people they were dealing with, just that they were clearly hostile.

It was an unsettling feeling, running at night along a road in the middle of nowhere; expecting a gunshot or an ambush at any minute. Beth could feel her rage toward these people, whoever they were, simmering below the surface. They'd had to leave all of that baby food and the diapers behind, not to mention their water. She wanted to kill them for putting her family through this, but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment so she channeled the energy into running.

They hadn't gotten very far when Judith started to cry. It almost drowned out the sounds their boots made hitting the pavement, but they all heard Abraham's short whistle and slowed their pace to turn and see him bringing up the rear.

He was jogging backward, looking at the road behind them where the fire could still be seen in the distance.

Silhouetted against the flames was a man. He was walking toward them at a leisurely pace, an automatic weapon held in one hand. Abraham raised his own rifle to take the shot but Rick put his hand on the barrel and lowered it. "You're not gonna hit him from here, and we don't know who we're dealin' with yet. Could be people in the woods with guns trained on us as we speak. We can't start a gunfight where we're out in the open like this."

Abraham's eyes darted to the trees on either side of the road and he nodded. Rick holstered his Colt and took Judith from Carl, trying to soothe her. "We run as long as we can, and then figure out a plan come daylight."

It was one of the longest nights of their lives. They ran and ran for hours, stopping to walk only when Eugene got too out of breath and said he couldn't keep going. Beth felt worse for Noah. He was favoring his bad leg even more than usual, and wincing every time his foot hit the ground, but he didn't complain once.

The horizon finally started getting brighter, and with it, the temperature steadily went up. By the time the sun had risen above the treeline they were all dripping with sweat and breathing hard. The heat was taking its toll on them already.

Rick held up a hand, signalling them to come to a stop. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and nodded ahead at a small farm. "We check there for water. If we're lucky, there might be a vehicle in the barn."

They covered the distance slowly, until Tara spotted the old cast iron hand water pump mounted in the yard and pointed at it. "Look!"

The prospect of a cool drink spurred them on, and by the time they reached the driveway there seemed to be a race going on between a couple of them to see who could get there first. Eugene surprised everyone by sprinting ahead, and started furiously pumping the arm for his first mouthful of water, prompting Tara to yell at him not to break it.

A few minutes later everyone was thoroughly soaked and refreshed. Beth sat down on the grass, wringing out her ponytail after having doused her head, and looked around.

The house was a little one and a half story, and was dwarfed by an enormous barn at one end of the yard. She pushed herself up, even though her feet felt like lead, and walked over to the barn door where Rick and Daryl were banging their fists on the old wood, listening for walkers inside. Not hearing anything, they both grabbed a handle and pulled the doors open.

There was a lot of ancient looking farm equipment inside, but closest to the doors was parked a fairly new school bus with Davidson County School District written on the side.

Rick hung his head with relief, pinching the bridge of his nose and blowing out a long breath at their possible change in fortune.

Daryl was already walking around the bus, giving it a once over. "Both front tires are pretty low, but it's probably just from sittin' so long. There's gotta be an air compressor here somewhere."

Abraham and Rosita offered to look, so the others kept watch while Daryl and Beth went to check the house for keys.

Beth pulled open the screen door, and while Daryl pounded on the door frame she noticed a small window nearby that was open. The screen was torn apart and pushed out as though something had escaped from the house.

The snarling of a walker came from inside, and Daryl looked through the small window in the door. He sighed and shook his head, glancing back at Beth, and she knew whatever it was, it was bad.

He pushed in the door, knocking the walker backward, and Beth got her first look.

It was a little girl with long hair, maybe 9 years old, in a filthy blue dress. Her cheeks were sunken in, and she was so weak when she fell to the floor that she just lay there with her thin arms flailing, cloudy eyes staring up at them while her mouth gaped open in a hiss.

Daryl stood a few feet away from the child, half lifting his knife to put the walker out of its misery but hesitating.

Beth knew he was probably thinking of Sophia, and felt tears in her own eyes as she grabbed an afghan off the back of a nearby rocking chair and laid it over the girl, covering her head. She leaned down with her own knife and ended it so he wouldn't have to.

Daryl sheathed his knife and nodded at Beth as she passed him to take a look around.

Sunlight streamed in the windows of the small kitchen. The cabinet doors all hung open and food packaging littered the floor and counters. Every last bit of food was gone. Even the bag of flour was empty with a spoon left in it, and Beth glanced back at the body of the little girl, trying not to dwell on how hungry she must have been before she died.

There was a key rack on the far wall, and Daryl stepped over the trash to get to it.

While he rifled through them, Beth walked up to the fridge where magnets held several photos in place. The one that stood out was of a young girl with long auburn ringlets. She was holding a calico kitten in her arms and grinning up at the camera. Beth picked it off the door and read the neat handwriting on the back. 'Krissy 6 years old, with Buddy.'

Beth closed her eyes, willing herself to hold it together, and put it back on the fridge.

She was grateful when Daryl came forward with a key ring in his hand. "Got it."

They stepped out onto the back porch, Daryl about to call out that he found the key, when they saw that something was horribly wrong. Everyone in their group was standing together in the driveway with their hands in the air, and there were three men holding them all at gunpoint, one with the butt of his rifle placed directly against Maggie's temple.

The oldest of the three strangers pulled a cigar out of his mouth and looked up at them. It looked like all of the group's weapons had been tossed into a pile at his feet. He smiled as though he was greeting two long lost friends, revealing he was missing all but one of his front teeth. The man motioned at their family with his automatic. "Hello there. Why don't you two join us? We're just gettin' acquainted and it'd be a shame if you missed out on our little get together."

Beth had a hard time dragging her eyes away from her sister's face that was frozen in absolute terror, but she followed Daryl's stiff descent down the steps and looked at the other two men.

They were half the age of the one talking, maybe his sons, because they were all a carbon copy of one another. Dirty shoulder length hair and the same build, over 6 feet tall. They also shared the oldest one's vicious sneer for a smile. The two younger men looked ecstatic, like they'd just won the lottery, as Beth and Daryl joined their family.

"That's her! That's the one!" The man on the left cackled over to the one holding the gun on Maggie at the far end of their group. "I told ya she was pretty." He grinned at Beth. "Saw ya stripped down to almost nothin' at the lake. Hooo, I had me a good old time while I watched ya!" He made a pumping motion next to his crotch.

Daryl's face clouded with rage, but Beth barely noticed. She watched the man making the obscene gesture at her and a slow measured smile spread across her face as she imagined all the pain she could inflict on him from where she stood. For a brief second she didn't care if her family found out about her.

"Alright, boys, settle down. There's plenty here to go around." Their father hawked up some phlegm and spat it on the ground next to him.

Beth clenched her hands into fists, aware of the heat radiating from them and feeling reckless with the animosity she felt toward these strangers. She relished how the one's smile faltered at her pleased expression, but got distracted when the older man began to speak again.

"I'll repeat this 'cause you were a little late to our first introductions." He pointed a finger at the one on his left aiming at Maggie's head. "Anyone tries to pull any hero shit and her brains'll be fertilizin' the lawn. My boys don't fuck about when I tell them to do somethin'. Think you can handle the job, Dwight?"

Dwight spit out a stream of dark juice and held his finger steady on the trigger, pausing to run his eyes down Maggie's body. "Yeah. I got this."

"Knew I could count on ya, boy." The father nodded arrogantly, holding his rifle almost casually on the group with one arm as he picked something out of his gums with the other hand and flicked it off his finger. "So, this is where the party begins, and I think it's only polite to have everyone on the same page as far as the rules are concerned. My boy, Jeb, here," he jerked his head at his other son, "is the oldest. Means he gets first dibs, 'cause I'm a good father like that, and he'll pick the lucky lady he wants to start with. Me and Dwight will choose after him. Heck, if we both like the looks of ya, you might even get chosen two or three times. Might say we're doin' our part to repopulate the earth. We've always been socially conscious folks in our own right. After we're done, we might just let your men live, too. _Might_. Our decision on that will be swayed by how accommodatin' you lovely ladies are."

He scanned over their stony faces, and put the cigar back between his lips. "Any questions?"

Beth stepped forward impulsively and made eye contact with the one called Jeb, looking directly at him as she moved beyond the relative safety of their group and out into the open with her hands up.

"You ready?" Her own voice sounded foreign to her, but she let the words roll off her tongue casually, cocking her head up at him in a playful manner. Her family probably thought she'd lost her mind, but there was no way in hell she was letting any of these pigs get to the other women in their group first. Beth _knew_ she could take this guy down. She'd just have to figure out what to do with the other two after she disposed of the first one.

Jeb regarded her warily with a laugh. "How come you're so eager, honey?"

Beth shrugged and dropped her knife to the ground when she saw him eyeing it. "It's been a while, if you know what I mean." She wouldn't let herself look back at Daryl. He was probably ready to jump out of his own skin at the thought of her being anywhere near this guy, but she couldn't see any other way.

"Alright." Jeb started unbuckling his belt with a huge grin.

Beth forced a laugh and walked past him, looking over her shoulder as she headed for the other side of the barn. "This lady would like a little privacy," she spun around and walked backward with a smile, pretending she was unbuckling her own belt, and then turned and strode across the yard with as much confidence as she could muster. _Follow me, asshole_.

 **So, I debated whether to have the threat of rape come up again in this story when Beth already dealt with it at Grady, and there have been rumblings in the fandom over the same trope rearing its ugly head even in the tv show. But, I think, if you imagine what living in a world without order would be like, it would no doubt be a horrible fact of life, for women especially. Look at how prevalent sex crimes are now even here in North America, with police just a phone call away, and all the daily horrors that people across the world have to deal with in countries ravaged by war or civil unrest.**  
 **On a lighter note, I like sticking in hints of little back stories here and there. Like Krissy, the little girl in the farmhouse. I just imagine her parents being killed somewhere during the turn, and her hanging on for as long as she could in the house, scared to death, with her cat...until one day dying of starvation and Buddy had to escape through a window because she came after him. Ok, so come to think about it, maybe that wasn't really "on a lighter note".**  
 **Once again, if you be so kind as to leave a comment it would be great!**


	21. Chapter 21

The last thing she heard was Maggie calling out in a panicked voice. "Bethy, no!"

Beth trekked through the long grass, feeling both dread and anticipation at war within her, and looked down at her clenched fists. The air shimmered around them; tangible evidence of her anger.

She reached the far side of the barn and turned around to face him, but Jeb was closer than she anticipated. He backhanded her across her right cheek and Beth lost her balance, staggering sideways from the force of the blow. She heard the crack of her own skull as it bounced off the wooden planks of the building.

"I don't know what you have planned, you little bitch, but you're not gettin' the jump on me." Jeb towered over Beth, pushing her onto her back roughly while he undid his fly.

She looked up at him groggily, fighting to get her bearings, but the outline of her attacker was hazy as he straddled one of her legs, and she felt her zipper being yanked apart.

Beth reached out blindly and grabbed one of the hands that was tugging her jeans down her hips, smelling his flesh searing from the contact with her palm, and she squeezed. The sound of Jeb's finger bones snapping inside her left fist made him come into sharp focus above her, and even though Beth's head was killing her she tightened her hold on him and made eye contact.

His cocky expression had morphed into one of confusion and fear as he gaped down at his hand, blurting out a high pitched, "What the fuck?"

The man jerked his arm back in a panic, trying to get her to let go, but Beth's grip was too strong, and the tug of war over his hand resulted in the unmistakable popping sounds of more bones dislocating.

She relinquished her hold on him to grab his collar before he could scream, pulling herself up and punching his windpipe with her other hand. He rocked back on his haunches and clutched his throat with his one good hand.

Beth's head was still ringing, but she kicked her legs at him violently to get him off her, rolling away as Jeb fell on his side with a thud and curled into the fetal positon on the ground. His mouth was hanging open, eyes wide and gasping for air, and he cradled the twisted mess of fingers that hung at bizarre angles from his right hand.

Scrambling to her feet and sucking in a ragged breath, Beth had to take a couple shaky steps before her legs felt strong enough beneath her again.

Jeb's jacket fell away from his side as he rocked back and forth, exposing the knife sheathed there on his belt, and Beth lunged for it while he was preoccupied with his pain. She lifted the blade in the air, only wavering slightly before bringing it down to his temple and embedding it in his brain.

Beth pulled the knife out, grimacing as the blade made a strange sucking sound when it left the wound, and stepped away from the body with disgust. She kept the knife clenched in her hand as she stood and pulled her jeans up, thinking of the situation she needed to return to on the other side of the barn.

Her family was still there, fearing for her and likely wondering who would be the next victim, and she had no idea how to save them without going full-fledged Carrie on the other two men.

She fastened the button on her jeans and crept around the side of the barn, slowing when she reached the far corner next to the driveway. Beth crouched down on the grass and peaked around with one eye.

Both men had their backs turned to her, and the father seemed to be getting impatient for his son to return. He yelled out to him, "Jesus H Christ, Jeb, you'd better finish and get your fuckin' ass back out here! I don't like to be kept waitin'!"

Beth glanced over at Daryl and saw him eying her and the bloody knife she held with relief, but he tried to keep his expression blank. She shrugged at him, looking for some guidance, but he shook his head very slightly, looking over at the gun still pressed against Maggie's head, and she knew he had no plan on how to resolve this safely either.

Taking another look at the father where he still stood with the automatic rifle pointed at her family, Beth was praying for some inspiration to come to her when a streak of white fur shot out of the barn and latched itself onto the back of the older man's leg. He screamed and twisted around, trying to see what was clawing him. Dwight looked over at the sudden commotion in shock and lowered his gun slightly, temporarily distracted from his task as his father howled in pain.

The older man spun in a circle, unable to quite reach the cat as it bit down through his pants, and he let loose a string of curse words, his finger squeezing the trigger on his automatic weapon and sending a spray of bullets flying through the air over her family's heads.

Beth watched them duck down to avoid getting hit, and Rick and Glenn were the first to charge forward while the men were distracted, tackling them violently to the ground. Dust rose around them as the father and son were overwhelmed by the number of people pinning them down.

When Daryl saw that the others had the situation in hand he turned and headed straight for Beth where she stood at the corner of the barn, grabbing her arm and pulling her back around out of sight from the rest of the group.

He was livid. And while he paced back and forth in front of her, Beth waited for the inevitable harsh words she knew were stewing inside him. She'd only ever seen Daryl this mad once before, at the moonshine still, and she understood now that on the rare occasion when he did lash out, it was always rooted in fear.

Beth watched him patiently, wishing he wouldn't chew down so hard on his thumb because she could see the nail was bleeding.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw how calm she was and shook his head angrily. "What the hell was you thinkin'?"

"I didn't have a choice, Daryl."

"Course you had a choice!" He waved his hand in the air dismissively. "We woulda figured somethin' out."

"And how many of our family would have been raped or killed before we 'figured somethin' out'?" Beth reached for one of his hands so he would stop pacing and Daryl flinched slightly at the residual heat still coming from her palms, but then seemed to accept the momentary pain as proof she was still alive and allowed her to pull him closer. "You know as well as I do that I stood a better chance against him. And they had a gun on my sister, Daryl. She's the last blood I've got left." Beth searched his face for any sign of understanding. There was no way she could have stood by and let Maggie or anyone else get hurt.

Daryl swallowed thickly, his eyes darting over her upturned face. He sighed and laid his hands on her shoulders, walking her back a couple steps until she was pressed against the side of the barn in front of him. He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes squeezed shut, and there was a tremor in his voice when he spoke. "When I watched you walk away, him followin' you…took everythin' I had not to go after ya."

Beth cupped Daryl's cheeks in her hands, her thumbs brushing back and forth, trying to wipe away the worry she saw there. She whispered, "I know."

"Can't lose you again, girl." Daryl ran his hands down her arms and up to her wrists, anchoring himself to her as he pulled his head back to meet her gaze.

"I'm not goin' anywhere." Beth gave her a head a little shake. "Just try and get rid of me."

Their faces were only inches apart, and all the chaos and violence of the world around them was temporarily forgotten. Daryl's gaze dropped to her mouth, and Beth only hesitated a moment before rising up on her toes and slowly closing the distance between them; her eyelids fluttering shut as she brushed her nose alongside his tentatively, feeling the warmth of his unsteady breaths against her mouth.

None of the relationships she'd had in the past had ever prepared her for just how intoxicating true physical attraction with someone could be. The feel of Daryl's chest rising and falling against hers had every nerve ending in her body firing and begging to be even closer to him.

She placed a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth, waiting to see if he would pull back. Beth felt him huff quietly in frustration, like he was fighting some inner turmoil, but his grip on her wrists didn't loosen any. He shuddered against her indecisively again before seemingly making up his mind and leaning in to hesitantly graze his lips over hers. When Daryl angled his head down to brush another soft kiss across her mouth Beth sighed, parting hers slightly to run the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip.

"Bethy? Where are you?" Maggie's voice called out for Beth anxiously as she approached their side of the barn.

Beth's eyes flashed up to meet his briefly as he stepped away from her and adjusted his crossbow strap before Maggie rounded the corner. Beth turned to face her sister with a slightly dazed expression, touching her fingertips to her mouth where she could still feel the heat from Daryl's kiss.

Her older sister ran to her, throwing her arms around Beth in a panic. "Are you okay? Did that man hurt you?"

Beth shook her head and pulled back to see the red mark on Maggie's forehead where the gun barrel had been pressed, running the tip of her finger over it lightly and then looking her sister in the eye. "He's dead. He never got to…"

"Whatever possessed you to do that, Beth? What were you thinkin'?" Maggie gripped Beth's arms, waiting for an explanation.

"They were gonna start with somebody, and I didn't want anyone else to get hurt." Beth shrugged and glanced away from her sister's intense stare. "I thought I could take him."

Maggie's eyes opened wide and she shook her head. "He was twice your size!"

"I know." Beth took her hands and squeezed them. "I can't explain it. I just knew that I could."

Glenn came up to them and put a hand on his wife's shoulder, concerned about her, and she let go of Beth's hand with one last look to talk to him.

Daryl followed Beth as she walked out into the driveway and stooped to pick up her knife but, as she straightened, her eyes were drawn to Tara, Sasha and Tyreese. They were gathered solemnly around something in the driveway, but she couldn't see what.

Beth jogged over to them with a feeling of dread when she heard the unmistakable sound of crying.

In the chaos, no one had noticed him fall. It was only after the two men were subdued that anyone paused to look around.

Noah lay in the dirt, his legs folded awkwardly beneath him, staring up at the sky with blank unseeing eyes. There was a bullet hole just above his left brow, and Beth dropped to her knees beside him. She looked down at her friend's face and shook his shoulders, crying out his name. "Noah. Noah!"

His head just moved gently back and forth with her movements, and Daryl crouched down next to her, drawing his hand over the young man's eyes to close them. He pulled Beth up against him and rubbed her arm as she stared down at Noah's lifeless form in shock.

Over by the barn, their former captors were lying side by side in the dirt, hands raised in front of them and begging for their lives, but there was no debate needed. Rick picked up one of their rifles and waited for Abraham, Rosita and Michonne to step away before firing into each man's head. The group all turned their backs on the bodies to deal with the loss of one of their own.

Shovels were found, and Glenn and Abraham started digging a grave for their friend alongside the barn. Beth pulled away from Daryl and brushed her hair away from her face. He looked at her with concern, reaching out to tuck a few strands behind her ear that had escaped, and asked, "You alright?"

She grabbed Daryl's hand before he pulled it away and planted a kiss on his palm, nodding wearily, and glanced over at the barn, huffing a faint sound of amusement despite the tears in her eyes. Sitting in the shade, and all but forgotten after the commotion of the fight, was the cat that had come to their rescue.

He finished cleaning a paw as Beth approached him carefully, crouching down when she was still several feet away and holding out a hand, her voice a bit hoarse from the tears she was holding back. "Hey, Buddy. How ya doin'?"

The cat trotted over and rubbed around her legs while she petted him. Beth laughed softly when he stood up on his hind feet with one paw on her knee, reaching the other in the air, and picked him up. "You're a brave boy, aren't you? I can't believe you stuck around here all this time."

Daryl was standing behind Beth and watching her with a bemused look. "Buddy?"

"His picture's in on the fridge. He belonged to that little girl in there." Beth rubbed the cat's head sadly.

Eugene came and stood in front of her, his eyes wide with interest. "Did I hear correctly? That feline's name is Buddy?"

"Yeah." Beth looked at him, puzzled by his sudden curiosity.

His mouth hung open and he asked her again. "He's a he?"

Daryl snorted. "Boy or girl, looks like dinner to me."

" _Daryl_." Beth gave him a dirty look for the comment. "You'll do no such thing. He saved us."

The cat purred as she scratched the orange fur behind his ears, and she turned to Eugene and lifted up the cat's bum so he could tell the sex. "What difference does it make if it's a male?"

Eugene bent slightly at the waist to look. "I have always had a predilection for the science of genetics, and a particular holy grail of mine has been to come across a male calico as they are extremely rare. Only one in every three thousand calicos born is a male, simply because two X chromosomes, one with the gene for orange fur and one with black, are required for that particular coloring to be expressed in a litter. So if you have a male calico, by default he has an extra X chromosome. The scientific term is Klinefelter syndrome. He's a genetic anomaly, and unfortunately, sterile. Sorry, cat." He reached out and patted Buddy's head apologetically but the cat just purred at the extra attention. "It's amazin' that he was ever born, let alone survived the end of the civilized world as we know it. That cat in your arms is a miracle. Too fascinatin' to be somebody's dinner, if you ask me." Daryl raised an eyebrow at him and Eugene shifted nervously under his glare.

Beth saw that Rick and Abraham were carrying Noah's body over for his burial and she put the cat down gently, thankful for the brief distraction.

It was a small, quiet gathering around Noah's grave. Carl had fashioned together a cross, and Tara laid down some wildflowers in front of it. After a few words and a minute of respectful silence, the group dispersed.

Daryl found Rick in the barn and held out the key chain with a small school bus hanging off it. "You want the honors?"

"Yes, I do." Rick climbed the steps inside and sat in the seat, turning the key in the ignition. The engine rolled over weakly but caught, and he let it run to charge the battery up. Daryl plugged the air compressor Rosita had found into the cigarette lighter and pumped up the tires while the rest filled up whatever containers they could find with water for the rest of their journey.

The water was loaded on the bus, as well as some tools and another gas can and hose they'd found.

Seeing that Abraham had already dragged the bodies out of the way, Rick steered it out into the driveway and opened the doors.

Beth was taking one last look back at Noah's grave when Daryl came to get her. He put a hand at the small of her back, guiding her gently toward the bus where the others were already boarding, but she stopped mid-step when she heard him grumble behind her.

Daryl was looking down at his feet with annoyance while the cat rubbed furiously around his legs, meowing plaintively. Beth laughed and picked him up. "You comin' with us, little guy?"

"Oh, you _gotta_ be kiddin' me." He shot an irritated look at the animal, but Beth snuggled the cat close to her chest and gave Daryl a coy smile.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, fighting to hide his smirk when she giggled and hopped on the bus with the cat in her arms.

They were the last to get on. Beth settled in next to a window with Daryl beside her, the cat jumping down to run to Tara for attention when she wiggled her fingers across the seat next to her playfully.

Everyone was eager to put the last twelve hours behind them, so Rick swung the doors shut and guided the bus onto the road.

 **So, Jeb went down, maybe not as spectacularly as you would have thought, but that may have been due to some initial overconfidence on Beth's part. Still, she got the job done.**  
 **And it may have seemed random, but all that info that Eugene spewed out about male calicos being rare is actually true. I remember learning that in Genetics in university many moons ago and it always stuck with me for some reason.**  
 **The first kiss! I agree wholeheartedly with Norman Reedus...Daryl has absolutely no game, so even something little like a first kiss is going to be torturously awkward.**  
 **Let me know what you thought!**


	22. Chapter 22

They were still driving a few hours later.

Beth sat with her back to the window, head resting against her hand, watching Daryl with a little smile. His head was hanging to the side and his left leg stretched out into the aisle, and he was slowly coming awake.

Daryl's eyes blinked open a couple times, and he looked over to see Beth smiling at him. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Beth grinned at him like she thought something was funny.

He eyed her smug expression and narrowed his eyes. "What are you smilin' at, Greene?" While he slept he'd slid down in his seat, and he brought his leg back to push himself up but stopped when he looked down at his lap. Buddy was sprawled across it, his front legs extended out in the air.

Daryl eyed the sleeping cat with a groan and raised his arms away from him in distaste while Beth laughed.

"I take it you're not a cat person?"

He shook his head and picked the cat up off his lap awkwardly, like he'd never held one before, and set him down on the empty seat across the aisle. "Nah. Never had one. Always wanted a dog, though. At least they're not useless. Can hunt for you and guard your shit."

Beth folded her arms and smiled at him. "That's funny. You kinda remind me of a cat, though. Independent. Self-sufficient. But you still need some attention every now and then, on your own terms, though."

He poked her gently in the side and she squirmed away with a giggle. "Did you just compare me to that bag of fleas over there?"

"Maybe." She laughed and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers between his and settled back with a contented sigh.

Glenn walked up from behind them and eyed their joined hands with a little smirk, looking like he was aching to crack a joke but Daryl's imposing stare seemed to change his mind. He pulled something out of his pocket and passed it to Daryl. "Meant to give this to you yesterday, but with everything that went down I didn't get a chance."

Daryl took it, nodding his thanks, and Glenn returned to his seat beside Maggie.

Beth watched Daryl rip the package open with interest, and he showed her what it was. Surgical scissors. "Figured it was time to get them stitches off. And your cast."

She looked down at the bandaging on her wrist with some worry, lowering her voice. "But what about the bite mark? I don't want anyone to see…"

Daryl shook his head at her doubt. "Don't worry about that. I got it covered."

Beth looked at him, puzzled, as Rick pulled the bus into the parking lot of a shopping mall next to some cars. He turned off the ignition and looked up into the mirror above him. "We need to find some gas, and there's a grocery store in the next lot over. Hopefully, there's some food inside. We split up and make this quick."

Daryl, Beth, Glenn, Maggie and Carl all started walking across the lot toward the grocery store. Two walkers intercepted them on their way there, and Beth and Glenn both took them down quietly with their knives.

As the group approached the windows of the store front, they lowered their weapons in resignation.

There were at least three dozen walkers inside, some of them pressed up to the glass when they saw the people getting closer, others just moving lethargically in the aisles. But it didn't matter anyway. The five of them could see inside clearly, and the shelves were all picked clean.

Daryl lead them away from the store and looked around for any alternatives, but the only other businesses nearby were a Subway and a Chinese Restaurant. It was highly unlikely that either place would carry anything in the way of non-perishable product, so they turned and headed back to the bus.

They were back on the road again soon, leaving the small town and driving through a long stretch of wooded area. Daryl had insisted he take his turn driving seeing how Rick could barely keep his eyes open, and Beth sat in the seat behind him, leaning on the bar behind the driver's seat and looking through the windows around them as the scenery flashed by.

It was going on a full day since anyone had eaten, and someone's stomach growled loudly toward the back of the bus.

"Sorry." Eugene mumbled an apology, his head leaning against the window morosely. "What I wouldn't give for a big home cooked meal right about now."

No one said anything. They all seemed lost in their own thoughts, likely thinking about how hungry they were, too.

Another two hours passed. They stopped once to check the first couple of homes in a subdivision near the main road, but had to leave in a hurry with only two cans to show for their efforts when a small herd caught wind of them.

Beth turned and watched Michonne feed Judith a bit of the canned pineapple they'd found, grateful that at least she wasn't going hungry.

It was late afternoon, and Beth and Daryl had been on the lookout for a safe place to stop for the night when they drove by an accident.

A huge pickup truck, with jacked up wheels like some of Beth's friends used to take mudding, had crashed into a large green sign and knocked it over. The truck was laying on its side covering most of the board's lettering, and Beth was just barely able to make out part of one word on it as they went by, but what it was didn't register until they passed a wide paved road a short distance away that was gated off.

"Daryl, stop the bus." She turned around and looked back the way they'd come, the wheels in her head turning, wondering if she was grasping at straws.

He put the bus in park and looked up at her in the mirror, puzzled.

"Can you back up to that road there?" Beth looked at his confused expression, and she shrugged. "It's probably nothin', but it'll only take a second."

Daryl nodded and put the vehicle in reverse, slowly driving backward until they were parked in front of the road's entrance. Beth got up and swung the lever to open the doors, and Daryl's hand shot out to stop her. "I just need to run back and have another look at that sign. It's only forty feet away. I'll be okay, I promise."

He nodded reluctantly, pushing down on the hand brake, and grabbing his crossbow to stand at the bottom of the steps to wait for her.

Beth glanced at the gate and the neatly paved road before jogging back alongside the bus. She could sense the others craning their heads to watch her with interest, and hoped she wasn't making an idiot of herself going on this hunch. If she was right, though, it could be the break they needed.

Beth was slightly out of breath when she came upon the wreck, and tried to get a better look at the sign, but it was covered by some fallen branches. She carefully picked her way down the side of the ditch and grabbed one of the limbs, pulling it off and revealing more of the wording with a triumphant grin. She hooted with excitement and ran back up onto the road, covering the distance back to the bus in a near sprint.

Rick and Abraham were both waiting outside with Daryl when she returned with a huge smile on her face. In between gasps for air she explained, pointing at the road beside them. "It's the DC for Loblaws. I think we should check it out."

Beth waved her hands in the air at the blank looks they gave her, impatient that they didn't understand what it meant. "I did a project in Economics on Loblaws. They're the parent company of the SuperValu grocery chain here." She gestured emphatically at the gate. "DC means distribution centre. It's where the product ships from that goes to the stores."

Abraham's jaw dropped open at the prospect of that much food. "Jumpin' sweet Jesus, blondie. If you're right I'm plantin' a big sloppy kiss on that little head of yours." He glanced at Daryl, eying the sour look crossing the man's face and laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Hell, I might even kiss you, Dixon!"

Beth grinned and watched Rick walk over to the gate to examine the lock. He called over, "It's just a regular padlock. The bolt cutters should cut through it pretty easy."

Running up the steps in the bus, Beth dug around behind the driver's seat where they'd dumped the tools from the farm, and passed the bolt cutters down to Abraham. Daryl backed up the bus enough to turn in the road, and drove through the gate when Rick and Abe pulled each section of chain link fence open. They closed it behind them, latching it without the lock in case they needed to make a quick exit.

A half mile back from the main road Daryl slowed the bus to a stop at the entrance to the property and waited.

It appeared that the site had long since been abandoned by the living. A few pieces of garbage blew across the otherwise empty parking lot, and the only vehicle there was a lone 18 wheeler backed up to one of the eight large receiving doors. There were a few walkers coming around the corner of the building, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

Daryl backed up alongside the truck to the next loading bay which had been left wide open. If there was any food left inside, it could be passed down through the door at the rear of the bus fairly easily, so he called to Abraham to swing it open before he coasted to a stop. It left just over a foot of clearance between the floor of the loading dock and the top of the bus' emergency exit.

There was a set of steps leading up to a single door at the far corner of the building, so everyone filed off the bus and headed for it.

Judith was awake in Carl's arms, and Tara trailed behind holding the cat while Daryl and Rick went up the stairs to pick the lock. Unfortunately, there was none. There was no handle on the door, no deadbolt, just a buzzer on the wall next to it with a small sign that read 'Drivers ring bell for assistance'.

Michonne and Rosita took out the three walkers that drew near while Rick turned away from the door and said, "We're not getting' in this way. There's gotta be a main entrance somewhere else. Daryl and I'll have a walk around."

Abraham took down two more walkers that had come around the side of the warehouse with the butt of his gun, and stepped out past the corner to scan for another door but froze in his tracks.

The expanse of parking area before him was filled with walkers. Some of them had already spotted his movements, and were now leading the rest of them in a steady migration across the lot, spurred on by the prospect of fresh food. He turned and jogged back to the group. "I would not advise that. We got company, the dead kind. And lots of them. Everybody back on the bus!"

Beth and Daryl brought up the rear as everyone ran back and got on board again, but by the time she had swung the door shut and he started the engine more walkers had filed out from the other side of the warehouse. The undead were drawn to the sides of the bus, and the numbers blocking their escape route were roughly a hundred strong and increasing. Beth sat on the steps and braced her feet against the doors to keep them from being pushed open.

Dozens of rotting hands slapped against the metal underneath the bus windows as walkers pressed against it, rocking it from side to side on its shocks. Judith started to cry, and Daryl shut off the engine, turning in his seat to look at the small space at the very back that would be their only escape from the trap they had found themselves in.

He caught Rick's gaze, and the other man nodded, shouting orders at the rest of them as he strode back the aisle. He stepped up onto the backs of the last seats and pulled himself up onto the loading dock easily, reaching his hands down for Judith.

Each person climbed up with the help of others, with Eugene and Tyreese being the only ones that struggled to fit their upper bodies through the opening. Tara passed Buddy up and he ran off into the darkness of the warehouse as she was lifted next, leaving just Beth and Daryl on the bus. He stood behind her and leaned his hands against the folding doors, looking down at her. "Go, Beth. I got this."

She shook her head and straightened her legs, pressing harder against the doors as more faces pushed in on the outside of the plexiglass, trying to get in at them. "Can't. If I move my feet they'll come in. You go first and be ready to pull me up."

Daryl leaned more of his weight on the top half, growling his words at her, "Uh uh. No way, Greene. I ain't leavin' you here while I save my own ass."

"Daryl, listen to me." Beth had to raise her voice. The sounds the walkers were making outside was becoming deafening now. "You saw Eugene and Ty almost get stuck. If you're the last one out of here and have walkers behind you, you're not gonna have time to mess around squeezing through. I'm skinnier than you."

She gritted her teeth, feeling the muscles in her legs start to tremble with the effort it took to push back on the door. "You go now. I can keep the door shut for a few extra seconds after I get to my feet and make a run for it, and you'll be able to pull me up really quick."

She looked up at him, fighting to hide the fear she felt. "Just be ready for me, okay?"

He looked down into her eyes, snorting a breath out through his nose in frustration at her reasoning. "You best haul ass, girl. I'll be waitin' on ya."

She swallowed thickly and nodded, and Daryl turned to run toward the back of the bus as she focused her attention back on keeping her legs straight just a few seconds longer. Out of the corner of her eye Beth saw him throw his crossbow up, and sure enough, a moment later came the sounds of him awkwardly climbing up onto the loading dock. The handle of his knife kept catching on the bus' door frame. Finally, his upper body was through, and he was pulled up quickly.

Once Daryl got to his feet she could see his boots braced directly in front of the open space, and his hands were hanging down between them, ready for her. He yelled out, "NOW, Beth!"

She looked down at her legs and exhaled shakily. They were dead tired, and she didn't know how fast she'd be moving once the walkers inevitably started pouring in. Beth closed her eyes for a split second to get her focus and opened them again, directing every ounce of her will into applying enough force against the whole door, without breaking it, as she grabbed the metal railing to help herself up. She pulled her feet back away from where they had been planted for the last few minutes and slowly got to her feet, never taking her eyes off the only barrier separating her from the undead. Beth knew as soon as she turned to run it would break her concentration and the walkers would be inside.

Daryl yelled her name again, and she took a deep breath, backing up the aisle a few steps, dreading what came next. The thought of being grabbed from behind and torn apart before she could get to safety almost paralyzed her with fear. "I'm comin'!"

 _Now or never_ , she thought, and turned to take her first step toward Daryl but the toe of her right boot caught on one of the metal seat legs and she lost her balance, falling forward in the aisle and landing hard on her side. The whole bus trembled as the doors swung in violently, and the first walkers started scrambling up the steps in a frenzy, seeking the prey that they knew was inside.

A new shot of adrenaline flooded Beth's veins, and her eyes widened as she heard the flurry of movement behind her. She hustled to her feet and ran full tilt toward the hands waiting for her at the back of the bus, grabbing them and feeling her feet rise off the floor as Daryl pulled her up toward him.

He almost had her clear of the bus when a gnarled hand latched onto the ankle of her left boot. The walker snarled up at them, reaching out with its other hand and trying to gain purchase on her other leg. Beth cried out and kicked back at it blindly, feeling more hands from her family grabbing onto her upper body and pulling her back to safety. The walker lost its grip on her and she tumbled forward into Daryl's arms, shaking from the close call.

The bus was filling up with more of the undead, and a handful of them stood in the back door snapping their blackened teeth, fingers grasping upward but unable to reach anything.

Rick walked over to the side chain and unwrapped it, letting the door roll down with a thud, plunging them into near darkness.

 **If you haven't guessed it by now, I've worked for a large grocery store chain for nearly half my life. I suppose you write what you know. Anyway, I went on a tour of one of our Loblaw DCs once and I've thought a few times that if the world ever ended and you were lucky enough to find yourself in one of those warehouses that you'd be set. They are simply massive.**  
 **Please let me know what you thought of the chapter! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

Rick passed Judith to Tyreese and spoke in a low voice over the din the walkers were still making outside. "If we keep quiet they'll wander off eventually. Might take a day or two."

He pulled out his knife and took a deep breath, peering into the gloomy recesses ahead of them. "Hopefully, we'll have somethin' to eat in the meantime."

They moved as a unit, knives raised, arms outstretched either to prepare for upcoming obstacles or to grab the shoulder of the person in front of them; stopping every minute or so whenever the faint echo of some small noise travelled through the darkness.

It was next to impossible to see anything the further they moved away from the receiving doors. The group had been walking through open space so far, but the way the sounds of their footsteps bounced back at them, Beth got the impression they were passing by rows of something.

Looking to her far left, Beth noticed a tiny sliver of light, maybe 150 feet away. She touched Daryl's arm next to her gently and whispered, "Is that daylight way over there?"

She felt him stop and turn almost immediately, calling out to Rick who he could just barely see was still leading the others straight ahead, further into the warehouse. "Hey, Rick. Go to your left, man, there's some kind of light source at 9 o'clock."

Beth sensed them change direction, and she felt the heat of the others around her as they all moved together.

At one point, Maggie gasped loudly when she ran up against something, and Beth heard Glenn murmur reassuring words to her as they continued. When she followed a few steps behind she ran her hands over the cool metal of the large object that had scared her sister. It felt like it might be a forklift.

The closer they got to the light, the faster their pace went, and Daryl was the first one to reach it. It was a door, and he turned the handle slowly, opening it a crack to look inside before pushing it wide open. It was a large office with a wall of windows overlooking the parking lot where the walkers had come from, just high enough that the undead couldn't see in.

Bright sunlight flooded through the doorway, penetrating the depths of the warehouse behind them, and they all turned to look.

Row after row of product was shrink wrapped and stacked neatly on racks before them, floor to ceiling, as far back as the eye could see. Daryl spotted three other doors to adjacent offices that he opened, illuminating even more rows of assorted pallets further along.

It was more food than any of them had ever seen in their lives.

Astonished laughter broke out amongst the group as they looked around. Abraham whooped with joy and picked Rosita up, spinning her in a circle, while Rick just stood quietly next to his son, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and sobbing quietly with relief that his children wouldn't go hungry tonight.

Several of them were starting to rip open boxes as Beth came to stand beside Daryl. He shouldered his crossbow and watched the rest of the group celebrate, then glanced at Beth and nodded his head at the far office. "C'mon. Let's get them stitches out while we still have the light. Then we can eat."

Beth led the way into the sunlit room. Her ponytail was coming loose so she pulled on the elastic as she walked toward one of the far windows, shaking her hair out. More laughter carried through the door behind them. She smiled at the sound of it and sat directly in the sunshine on the corner of a desk, working the twists out of her hairband and looking up at Daryl as she scooted back.

He was rooted to a spot several feet away, watching the sunlight play on her blonde hair as Beth swung it over her shoulders and started gathering it up again, but when she saw the intensity of his gaze on her she stopped and let her hands fall to her sides with the elastic still between her fingers.

Daryl's crossbow dropped to the carpet, forgotten, and he took the last few steps until he was standing in front of her. Beth spread her knees apart further as an unspoken invitation for him to come closer, and he made the final step with only a slight hesitation.

Beth smiled up at him openly, feeling the familiar pang in her chest as his eyes bored into hers. She watched Daryl swallow, maybe a little nervously, as he started raising his left hand up to touch her hair but he stopped halfway and met her gaze, and she knew he was asking her permission.

She nodded quietly and his hand continued on its path, coming to rest gently on the side of her head. His thumb brushed some loose strands away from her face, and he moved his fingers back through the rest of her hair, pushing it over her shoulder with great care. Beth could feel the heat from his fingertips as they skimmed lightly over her scalp and she closed her eyes, lost in the sensation as Daryl continued to comb his fingers through her hair tenderly.

Feeling his hand fall away, Beth opened her eyes and looked up at him, watching him exhale a long shaky breath that he must have been holding in the entire time. She tugged lightly on the edges of his leather vest and smiled back at him, speaking in a hushed voice. "That felt really nice."

Daryl nodded, trying to get it together and stop staring at Beth when he saw her cheeks turn red under the weight of it. She averted her gaze and looked down at her lap shyly, playing with the elastic still there, and he touched a finger to her hand. "Leave it down…just for a minute?"

Beth grinned happily at her fingers, and nodded, locking eyes with him again; the set of his shoulders relaxing slightly as she smiled back at him. Daryl reached into his pocket and pulled out the scissors, moving in closer, and she tilted her left cheek up for him.

Daryl leaned in, lips pressed together in concentration, and cut the stitches carefully, one at a time. Beth tried not to move, but she could feel his breaths on the side of her neck and it tickled.

She shifted in her seat, rubbing the inside of her thighs against his legs unintentionally, and he finished with her cheek, pulling back to look at her with an eyebrow raised and the corners of his mouth turned up in amusement.

Beth looked up at Daryl sheepishly and whispered, "Sorry."

"Quit your squirmin', girl."

Something about his choice of words made her thoughts go down a different route, and she blushed even harder as she tilted her head forward for him to get the stitches on her forehead and found herself looking down at the front of his pants.

"There." Daryl dropped the last bits of black suture on the desk beside Beth and she raised her hand, running her fingertips over the scar on her cheek self-consciously.

She looked up at Daryl, worry etched on her face, and asked him, "How bad is it?"

His eyes took in the faint pink scars that were a couple shades darker than her pale skin, and shook his head firmly. "Ain't nothin' that won't fade with a little more time."

"Really?" She searched his face, hoping he wasn't just trying to spare her feelings.

Daryl saw her doubtful look and scanned the room, his eyes coming to rest on a chrome plaque hanging on the wall across the room; an award for someone's long forgotten achievement. He strode over and yanked it from its hook, bringing it back to Beth. "Here. See for yourself."

She held it up and examined her reflection carefully, frowning at the unfamiliar marks. It was jarring to see them on her face, and she looked up at Daryl with some reservation.

He'd been watching her closely. Beth wasn't a vain girl by any means, but it was only human to be bothered by someone leaving their mark on you. Of all people, god knew Daryl understood that.

Seeing her concerned expression, Daryl met her gaze and spoke truthfully, "Ain't what I see when I look at you, Beth. Ain't what I see at all."

Beth took a moment to process his words, then nodded, setting the makeshift mirror down on the desk beside her without another look. She started to push herself off the desk but he touched her shoulder lightly. "Hold up. Ain't done yet. That cast is comin' off, too. I'm getting' tired of lookin' at it."

She glanced down at the bandaging that was covered in dirt and flecks of blood. Before she could object, Daryl started cutting it away, unravelling the filthy layers of gauze from the outside. He got down to the last layer and Beth realized that it was her turn to hold her breath.

She'd never seen the bite mark, and as the last little bit was unwrapped she stared at the newly exposed skin.

There was a jagged set of scars, clearly inflicted by human teeth, on the side of her wrist. Although the wound seemed to stand out sharply to Beth because of its implications, she could see the marks were healed more fully than the ones on her face, and would likely be difficult to distinguish at a glance in the future. Nevertheless, she felt embarrassed and disgusted by the sight of it, and tugged the cuff of her jacket down, not noticing Daryl was pulling something out of his vest pocket.

He used his knife to cut a small piece of plastic off whatever he was holding before passing it to Beth.

She turned the items over in her hands, surprised. It was a pair of fingerless gloves; rich leather on the palms, and a combination of nylon and breathable mesh on the back. Beth grinned and looked up at Daryl, pulling them both on. The glove on her right hand covered the bite mark perfectly.

Flexing her fingers to get a feel for them, Beth admired the way they clung perfectly with her movements without feeling too tight, and breathed, "Thank you, Daryl. I love them."

He watched Beth spread her hands out before her, pleased that she seemed to like them so much, and said, "Saw them at that huntin' store we was at, grabbed them for you."

She pushed herself off the desk and smiled up at Daryl, hands on her hips. "Do you really think they make me look badass?"

He couldn't stop himself from looking her up and down to take in her new outfit, his eyes finally rising to meet Beth's, and nodded. "Mmmhmm."

Beth stepped even closer until she was almost pressed up against his chest, smiling at him affectionately. "You know, you better be careful. All these nice things you keep givin' me…the boots, the knife, now these," her gaze dropped to her new gloves and then back up to Daryl's face," I might get used to bein' spoiled."

He shrugged a shoulder and the usual words of "ain't nothin'" _almost_ passed his lips, but he saw Beth start to raise a playful eyebrow at him, and he changed his answer. Daryl reached his left hand out and twined a couple fingers in between hers. "Guess you'll just have to get used to it, then."

Beth caught herself grinning at him like a fool, and slid the palm of her other hand up over Daryl's chest to his shoulder, rising to give him a kiss but a knock on the doorframe interrupted them.

Rick stood in the open doorway, having the good grace to look embarrassed for walking in on a private moment. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, saying," Sorry. Just wanted to let you know we've got a bit of a feast prepared. Didn't want you to miss out."

"Be right there." Daryl nodded at the other man.

Rick turned to leave and Daryl started to let go of Beth's fingers to follow him but she held on and cleared her throat. He looked down at her, puzzled, and she didn't say a word, just placed a soft kiss on his mouth, holding her lips there for a brief moment before pulling back and grinning. "Now we can go."

Daryl shouldered his crossbow and followed Beth back out into the warehouse area, only making a half-hearted effort to hide the smile on his face.

* * *

A half hour later the sun was low in the sky, and everyone was sprawled out in a large circle, sitting on chairs pulled out from the offices. Beth set her empty can of ravioli on the floor, licking off the plastic spoon while she leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh. "That was so good."

She laughed when she looked across the circle at Carl. He'd claimed one of the cushier computer chairs, and was using his feet to push himself around in it while he ate. He was lifting another spoonful to his mouth when Beth called over to him. "Good cereal, Carl?"

They'd found several pallets of a wide variety of cereal, but it was only when Michonne had found cases of shelf stable milk that Carl got excited. He'd combed through the aisles until he found plastic spoons and cardboard bowls, then rushed back and poured himself serving after serving of cereal and milk. He was on his eighth bowl when he finally put a hand on his swollen belly and gave up, answering Beth with a lazy grin. "Yeah. I'm really full now, though."

Rick was holding Judy on his lap, giving her some of the milk in a small cup. He chuckled at his son, saying, "I remember you used to live off that stuff, Carl. I swear, it was the only thing we could get you to eat half the time. Used to drive us up the wall."

They both smiled at the bittersweet memory until Judith brought them back to the present with her laugh as she tried to blow bubbles in her milk.

Tara was working on finishing her chocolate pudding cup but she kept folding her hand up to her nose and looking at what the person next to her was eating with disgust. "Oh my god, Eugene. What the hell are you eating? It stinks."

He fished a small, dark object out of the tin he was holding and put it on a cracker before popping it in his mouth. "Canned smoked oysters. They're delicious."

Tara mimicked a gagging noise and scraped her chair over the floor, a bit further away from Eugene.

Beth giggled at Tara and toed the cans of cat food at her feet, looking around. "I wonder where Buddy is? I hope he's okay."

As if on cue, the cat come trotting out of the darkness up one of the aisles with something swinging from his mouth. It was a large mouse, and he settled on the floor behind Beth to eat it. The few outward groans of protest got even louder when he started crunching through bones, and Beth couldn't help but giggle at their squeamish stomachs. Thankfully he didn't take very long to eat it and the group was left to digest their meal in peace while Buddy cleaned himself.

"I don't know about you all," Abraham stretched his legs out in front of him and folded his hands behind his head, "but I think we'd be some kind of crazy to think about leavin' here to go on some wild ass goose chase, lookin' for some place in DC we may never even find."

The small amount of chatter amongst the rest of the group died at his suggestion, and he looked around at them. "We got shelter. We're safe from the dead _and_ the living. And we've got more food and water than we can shake a stick at. Doesn't get much better than that."

Beth looked around at the walls of the warehouse and wondered if they could actually make it a home.

Nobody objected, and Rick looked down at the little girl in his arms, saying, "You might have a point. We'll give it a couple days and then take it to a vote."

The sun had just dipped down below the treeline, bringing darkness back to the inside of the warehouse. Maggie turned on a couple camping lanterns they'd found and shut the doors to the offices so the light couldn't be seen from outside, while Glenn and Sasha passed out brand new sleeping bags.

Beth unrolled hers and chose a spot against a wall just on the outskirts of the glow from the lamps to spread it out. Daryl dropped his several feet away, not wanting to crowd her, but she put the toe of her boot on it and dragged it closer to hers.

She sat down and ran her hand along the cat's back as he went by her, calling out to him softly as he walked away. "Don't let any mice get me through the night, Buddy."

Daryl snorted and stretched out alongside her, folding an arm under his head, crossbow still at his side just in case. She laid on her side facing him and smiled. "What?"

"You kill walkers but you're afraid of a little mouse?"

Beth flicked his sleeve and rolled her eyes. "It's not the same. Walkers don't crawl up my pant leg while I'm sleepin'."

Daryl huffed with amusement and closed his eyes, and the last thing Beth saw before she fell asleep was Judith laughing and petting the cat with wonder. _Maybe things will be okay here._

 **Ugh, thank god those stitches on Beth's face are finally gone. The ones she had on her cheek and forehead on the show were the gnarliest looking ones I'd ever seen. And Daryl, slowly coming to realize that he's allowed to touch Beth intimately, and that she welcomes it. Don't tell my husband, but Daryl can comb his fingers through my hair any day.**  
 **Please take a minute to type out your thoughts on the chapter...**


	24. Chapter 24

Beth placed a soft kiss on Judith's forehead and watched Daryl approach Rick from where she stood in one of the office doorways.

It had only been two days. The rest of the group had explored the warehouse out of boredom at first, but then seemed to give in to their newfound sense of security and just spent their time relaxing.

Not Daryl, though. Beth had noticed the tension in his posture building the longer he was cooped up inside. He literally spent hours pacing and looking out the windows while he chewed on the pad of his thumb.

Beth smoothed out Judy's hair as the little girl snored softly against her shoulder, and watched the first light of sunrise spread across the sky, thinking it was a miracle Daryl had lasted this long. For lack of any better options, he knew they needed to make this work, so his conversation with Rick had been delayed as long as possible.

"You sure that's wise?" Their leader's hands rested on his hips, and he looked at his friend with some concern.

Daryl shouldered his crossbow and nodded quickly. "It'll be fine. We'll slip out the fire exit at the back. Ain't no walkers on that side right now, and it's a short walk to the tree line."

Rick sighed and turned to Beth, seeing she was listening in. "I take it that means you're going, too?"

She nodded. "Some fresh air'll do us both some good. We'll only be gone a few hours. We just need someone to keep watch at the door to let us back in."

Beth suspected Rick understood Daryl well enough to know that if they were going to make this place their new home, this would have to be one of the concessions made. Daryl wasn't the indoor type, so there would still need to be room left for at least some worry in their lives.

After promising to be careful several times, and agreeing that if they weren't back by noon then a search party would come looking for them, Daryl took another look through the peephole of the door before swinging it open quietly and stepping outside. Beth followed, letting the door close softly behind her, and followed him across the short expanse of the parking lot.

There was only one walker in sight, but they slipped by it unnoticed, and as soon as they entered the woods Beth could see Daryl visibly relaxing. Even she had to admit it felt good to be outside again.

They walked for a couple minutes before talking.

"Thought you woulda said good bye to Maggie 'fore we left." Daryl held his crossbow in front of him, scanning the trees as they went, with Beth behind him.

Beth laughed a little. "She and Glenn had locked themselves in one of the offices. Probably wouldn't have been a good idea to interrupt them."

Daryl snorted softly. Beth came up beside him, smiling, and said, "Can't say I blame them. There isn't much for privacy in that place."

She put her hand in the crook of his arm and brought him to a stop. "Matter of fact, the only thing I've been able to think about for the last few hours is bein' able to do this without anyone watchin'."

Daryl let his crossbow fall to his side, held by one hand so it wasn't in the way as Beth stepped closer. She slid her hands inside his vest along his waist, breath catching as her thumbs traced over the hard plane of muscle that cut in just above where his pants hung low on his hips.

Their bodies were flush against each other, and Beth looked up into Daryl's eyes. They were fixed on her, unwavering and almost hungry as he raised his left hand and slid it behind the nape of her neck. Beth could feel her heart skip a beat at the feel of his skin on hers, and just when she began to worry he would decide against kissing her, she saw his nostrils flare with some kind of determination and he lowered his head, covering her lips with his own.

It was their first uninterrupted kiss and their mouths moved eagerly together, starting slow at first, exploring what each other liked, but when Daryl slid his tongue over Beth's the small moan she made each time just about drove him crazy, and his kisses became less controlled, finally backing her up against a tree until she grabbed his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged on it gently.

They were both breathing hard when they pulled apart, and Daryl leaned his head down against hers, his hand tangled in her hair now, slowly shaking his head. "Keep waitin' for you to realize you deserve better than me."

Beth huffed softly in amusement and licked her lips. "Not gonna happen, . My Daddy always said I was a good judge of character. And once a Greene decides, you're stuck with them."

While they'd kissed, her hands had slid down to his ass and she squeezed it lightly with a giggle to emphasize her point. Beth glanced upward, seeing his eyes were still closed but the corner of his mouth twitched into a hint of a smirk.

"Come on," Beth planted another soft kiss on Daryl's mouth and pushed away from the tree, "let's cover some more ground and get back before the cavalry comes for us."

They walked in tandem for another half hour or so, only coming across two walkers that Daryl took down with his crossbow. There was a small amount of wildlife in the area, and they spotted several squirrels and one raccoon that Daryl itched to shoot simply out of force of habit, but with a warehouse full of food to return to, it didn't make any sense to bring game back with them.

The temperature was rising, and the humidity was making their clothes stick to them as they walked, so Daryl came to a stop beneath the shade of a large maple for them to take a break.

He leaned against the trunk and pulled a crumpled cigarette pack out of his pocket, shaking the tip of one out of the hole and grabbing it between his lips. Beth had chosen to sit next to him with her back against the tree, and he lit his smoke, looking down at her, and asked, "Ain't really said much about it, but you think you got a handle on all the ins and outs of this thing of yours?"

Beth spun the stem of an aster between her fingers and sighed. "Yeah. I mean, yes and no. I can move things with pretty well minimal effort now. And the healing thing isn't anythin' to complain about." Some of the petals of the flower fell on her leg, and she frowned. "The one thing I still can't make sense of is the whole heat thing with my hands when I get angry."

Daryl took another drag from his cigarette and nodded, remembering how hot they were after she'd had to kill one of those assholes back at that little farmhouse. The morning Noah had been killed.

"I don't know what it is." Beth folded her arms on her knees and stared out into the woods. "It happens whenever I'm pissed about something, and it feels like it could…I don't know…consume me if I let it. I've been able to rein it back in so far, but I'm a little worried about what might happen if sometime I can't."

He kicked at the grass beneath his boots and looked around. There was nothing but forest surrounding them for as far as the eye could see, so he shrugged and offered, "Why don't you try it out here? If you knew what it was, might be a load off your mind."

Beth looked up at him and chuckled, her brow furrowed. "What? Daryl, first of all, I'm not pissed right now. And second, I don't wanna burst into flames like that little baby in The Incredibles."

Daryl snorted. "That was a damn cartoon, Greene. I'm pretty sure you won't catch fire. Ain't nothin' around here you could hurt, anyway. And don't tell me you got nothin' to think about that'd piss you off, 'cause I can think of plenty."

She pushed herself off the ground and brushed grass off her backside, cocking her head at him. "You're serious?"

He dropped his cigarette butt and ground it into the dirt with his boot, shrugging. "Look, I don't wanna push you into doin' anythin', but the way the world is now, a time's gonna come when you get really fuckin' angry about somethin' and you should know if you need to be worried about this."

Beth rolled her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose and nodding, looking around to see which direction she'd head. She chose a path straight ahead and started walking away, but turned when she heard Daryl following her and pointed back at the tree. "No way, you stay there. I don't want you anywhere near me when I'm doin' this."

Daryl pursed his lips together and looked like he wanted to object, but when she pointed to where she wanted him again he returned to the spot begrudgingly.

Beth continued on for another twenty paces, looking behind her to make sure Daryl was still where she wanted him, and as an afterthought tugged her new gloves off, shoving them into the rear pocket of her jeans. Whatever happened, if anything, she didn't want to ruin them.

Beth came to a stop and scanned the forest ahead of her, noticing a blue jay sitting on a branch above her and clapped her hands so it would fly away, not wanting it to get hurt. She let out a long breath and flexed her fingers, feeling utterly ridiculous for trying to bring this on intentionally. "Make yourself angry, he says," she muttered quietly to herself, and closed her eyes to try and find some memory to draw from.

She thought of something briefly, something so horrifying that would more than fit the bill, but pushed it to the back of her mind because the mere idea of it would destroy her. She wouldn't relive that. She couldn't.

Instead, her mind went back to Grady. Back to thoughts of Gorman and Dawn. How Joan and her baby, and others, had suffered and died at the hands of the officers at the hospital. She remembered Joan screaming during the birth, and how Gorman had just laughed. Beth felt the familiar rage start to coil in her belly, and the warmth spread from her core down through her arms and legs. She looked down at her hands, seeing the air beginning to distort in waves from the heat coming off her skin, and held them out by her sides, palms facing forward on instinct.

Beth closed her eyes and allowed the hate she felt for the officers to fill her up, even though it was a struggle. Except for that one low point back on the farm, after the barn had been opened and the shock of it all made her briefly considered ending it, she wasn't one to focus on the darker things in life anymore; choosing instead to see the positive in even the worst of times.

So, standing here in these woods, it was disorienting to feel the anger growing exponentially inside her now that she wasn't fighting it. The sensation of it pulsing through her was horribly unsettling, like an actual monster was coursing in her veins, begging to be unleashed, and her heart started beating a staccato rhythm.

She began to feel physically ill from all the negative energy, and opened her eyes when she felt something move around her face. The few wisps of hair that were loose around her cheeks were standing straight up, charged by the static that Beth could feel was heavy in the air around her.

The hostility still building within her brought on a fresh wave of nausea, and combined with the crackling and hissing she could hear in the breeze around her, panic started to set in. She wanted to get rid of this _thing_ that she could feel ebbing through her, just barely contained by her own skin, it felt, so she did something purely out of reflex. She pictured it inside her as a physical entity and _pushed_ it out of her body with as much force as she could.

Immediately after it left her, Beth heard what she could only describe as a loud crack of thunder, and then everything went black.

* * *

Beth came to with Daryl patting her cheek, his own face frozen in disbelief.

She was laying on the forest floor, dead tired and staring up at him groggily, but oddly she felt good, and she wondered vaguely why he looked like he'd seen a ghost. After all, nothing had really happened. She fainted. Big deal. At least she hadn't puked.

Beth caught Daryl's hand in hers and smiled up at him, feeling almost giddy after wallowing in all that hate just minutes ago, and said, "Hey. I'm okay. I guess it wasn't really anythin' worth worryin' about. Passin' out isn't exactly scary."

Daryl didn't say anything at first, he just rubbed his other hand over his mouth, and nodded at her. "You feel good enough to stand?"

Beth nodded weakly, and Daryl grabbed both her hands and pulled her up. She held on to his forearms to steady herself and he leaned down to look her in the eye, his face etched with concern and guilt. "Don't know how to say this, but you didn't just pass out, Greene."

Confused, Beth looked up at him, and Daryl sighed, motioning to the right with his head and she followed his gaze.

The forest that Beth had been facing moments ago was levelled. It looked like a tornado had swept through an area roughly a couple hundred feet across and almost a quarter mile deep, pulverizing the trees. They all lay bent over at the roots, crushed nearly beyond recognition. If any other living human should ever come across it, they might be forgiven for thinking the finger of God had touched down briefly to smite the earth.

Beth's eyes went wide as she surveyed the destruction, and a wave of fear flooded through her system, making her knees go weak. Daryl's arm snaked around her waist when he felt her sag against him, and she blinked back the tears forming in her eyes, shaking her head, not wanting to believe she was responsible for this.

She clutched at Daryl's hand and gasped, "What happened?"

"Dunno. The air around you got right hazy and weird, then your head snapped back…"

Beth looked up at him, waiting. "And?"

"Not sure how to describe it. It was like this wave of energy or whatever left you and mowed all the fucking trees down, and you dropped like a rock." Seeing how upset Beth was, Daryl pulled her around to face him again, "M'sorry. Never shoulda pushed you to do that. You sure you're okay?"

She drew in a shaky breath, nodding, and Daryl pulled her close to him in a tight hug. Beth shuddered in his arms and her words were slightly muffled against his vest. "It's okay, at least now I know, right? I don't think I ever wanna do that again, though."

He looked over her shoulder and nodded, pulling back and steering Beth away from the carnage so she wouldn't have to look at it anymore. "Might be a good idea."

* * *

The shade from the trees was doing little to shelter them from the sweltering heat as they headed back to the warehouse. Beth insisted she felt better, but her slower pace convinced Daryl otherwise, and he shouldered his crossbow to keep one arm around her waist.

They had only walked a few minutes when a stranger stepped out from behind a tree a short distance ahead with his hands in the air. It took a split second for Daryl to step in front of Beth and aim his crossbow at the man.

"If you know what's good for you, stay back." Daryl growled the words, staring down the sites of his Stryker.

There was something off about the guy, but Daryl couldn't pinpoint it at first, until it struck him. He was _clean_. His clothes were sturdy and in good repair; curly brown hair cut short, and it looked like he'd shaved recently, all of which meant the stranger probably had a camp nearby, and Daryl nervously scanned his peripherals to make sure they weren't about to be ambushed.

The man took a couple more slow steps toward them, hands still held up in surrender and no weapons were visible on him. "Good morning." He glanced nervously at Daryl's crossbow and continued speaking. "My name is Aaron. I get why you're pointing that at me, but I'm not here to hurt you."

"Yeah, a lot of people say that these days. Not many've given us reason to believe it." Daryl held his ground, ready to fire a bolt into the man if he made any sudden moves.

Aaron advanced a couple feet further, arms held even higher in the air as the crossbow followed his every move. He nodded and said, "Unfortunately, I've had the same experience, which is why I need to be careful about who I approach out here. I'm from a community in Alexandria. We have walls, high ones. It's safe. I recruit people to live there." He dropped his hands slowly to the straps of his backpack and raised his eyebrows at Daryl to let him know he was going to slide it off his shoulders. "I have photos of the Safe Zone if you'd like to see what our community looks like."

Daryl noticed the shiny gold band on Aaron's finger as he pulled out several grainy black and white photographs and took two quick steps toward the kneeling man. "You recruit people, huh? What happens to the ones you don't like? You steal from them? Who'd you steal that from?"

Aaron paused and looked at his ring, confused, and then up at Daryl. "No one. It's mine. I'm married."

"Oh, yeah?" Daryl hoped to catch the guy in a lie. He was so on edge that his finger was starting to cramp against the trigger. "What's your wife's name?"

"Eric." Aaron held the photos out and answered, "My husband's name is Eric."

This seemed to catch Daryl off guard momentarily, and Beth stepped forward to put a hand on his shoulder. She'd been leaning against a tree wearily, watching the strange conversation unfold, and she spoke softly, "Daryl. There's still good people, remember?"

Aaron looked up at Beth and smiled hopefully, holding the photos out, "I believe that, too. If you don't mind my asking, what's your name?"

"Beth," she answered, leaning some of her weight lightly on Daryl's shoulder. She nodded at him and offered, "This is Daryl," and was greeted by a frustrated huff from him like she was giving too much away.

"Beth, Daryl, it's nice to meet you." He extended his arm with the pictures for them to take.

Daryl barked at him, still anxious of letting his guard down, "Toss them. And step back ten paces."

" _Daryl_ ," Beth sighed. She understood his need to protect her, but she was growing exasperated. He should know she was more than capable of handling this guy if he tried anything.

She raised an eyebrow at Daryl and stepped around him. "Don't worry, I've got this."

He nodded curtly, understanding what she was saying, but still watched the other man like a hawk. Beth walked forward and smiled, waving her hand at Aaron to stand up, and took the photos. Daryl came and looked over her shoulder as she flipped through them.

The pictures showed what looked like high steel walls with braces, people tending to crops, children playing with a dog in a clean suburban street, and finally, Aaron smiling at another slighter man, presumably his husband.

"Daryl," Beth spoke quietly, looking up at him with a smile, "It looks nice."

He hated to crush the hope in her voice, but the fact was it wasn't their decision to make. He looked over at Aaron, who was still standing awkwardly with his hands up. "Don't matter. Ain't up to us. You're comin' with us to show our group, and then we decide what to do with you."

Daryl pointed his crossbow at the man again and spun his finger in the air, telling him to turn around. He frisked the man for weapons thoroughly, finding a hunting knife and a small pistol, then motioned for him to start walking.

Aaron eyed the weapon and swallowed nervously, asking," You're not going to shoot me, are you?"

Daryl shrugged and made sure Beth was right behind him. "Not as long as you don't give me reason to. Besides, ain't me you gotta worry about." He turned and caught Beth's eye, warning the other man in a deadly serious voice. "She's the dangerous one."

Beth struggled to maintain a straight face when Aaron looked back at her with a worried expression and gulped, asking her," You know…martial arts, or something?"

She raised an eyebrow, feeling a little bad for making him worry for his safety. He did seem like a nice guy. "Or something."

 **Pleeeeeeeeeeeease leave a comment. It would mean the world to me!**


	25. Chapter 25

It was an awkward walk back to the warehouse. Aaron had tried gently pressing them for information on the rest of their group and where they were from, but neither Beth nor Daryl wanted to give much away until their family met this stranger and found out more about him.

Daryl still had his crossbow trained on him when they approached the rear door. It swung open, and Glenn held his rifle up cautiously, seeing the stranger with them, looking at Daryl for an explanation.

"Came across him in the woods. Says he's from some safe zone. Thought Rick and you guys better meet him."

Glenn nodded and stepped back warily, letting them inside and keeping his weapon trained on the stranger until they made their way up to the front of the warehouse where the rest were.

Everyone jumped to their feet when they saw the unfamiliar face, scrambling for weapons that hadn't been picked up in days.

The newcomer opened his mouth to start speaking, but Daryl cut him off to address Rick. "He approached us while we was out there. Says he's recruitin' people to live in some walled community in Alexandria."

Rick's gaze turned cold as he took in the stranger. "Is that so? What did he have for weapons?"

"Just a knife and this little thing." Daryl held up the small gun he'd tucked into his waistband.

Against his better judgement, Aaron's gaze had been drawn to the seemingly endless supply of food before him while the two men discussed him.

Rick saw where he was looking and snapped his fingers at the man to get his attention. "Don't look at that. Look at me."

Aaron swallowed nervously, meeting the gaze of the man that must be their leader. "Sorry, it's just…that would feed a lot of people."

Rick's hands went to his hips and he nodded seriously. "Yeah. It will." He narrowed his eyes at the stranger before him and asked," How many people you have with you out there?"

Aaron paused before answering, his eyes darting over the bearded man's face and piercing eyes. He gave off a dangerous vibe, but looking around at the rest of the group, seeing the baby being held carefully by a woman with dreadlocks, and a cat purring in another's arms, it all seemed to contradict any initial worries he had about this group, but he still wasn't a hundred percent sure. "I'm alone here, but I have a partner a couple miles away who I'm supposed to check in with on the walkie-talkie soon."

Rick chewed on the inside of his cheek, searching the man's face for any trace of a lie and finally nodded. "Alright, so check in with him and tell him to meet you here."

Aaron froze momentarily, asking," Why?"

Rick shrugged a shoulder. " 'Cause, I wanna meet him."

Beth dug in his knapsack for the walkie-talkie and Aaron eyed it, hesitating.

Rick pulled his python out of its holster impatiently, and his hand twitched as he held the weapon down by his leg. "Call your friend. Tell them you found some food and need help carryin' it."

He lifted the gun and gestured at Aaron with it to emphasize how serious he was. "You breathe a word about any of us bein' here and it'll be the last thing you do."

Aaron nodded and was accompanied outside by Daryl and Glenn to get good enough reception, leaving the rest of the group alone to look over the pictures Aaron had brought and discuss the likelihood of the community actually existing.

Everyone seemed interested in at least learning more about the place, but Michonne saw Rick's expression held nothing but cynicism.

She sighed and pulled Judith up higher on her hip, speaking to him calmly when he came to stand beside her. "Look, considering everything we've been through, we were lucky to even find this place. But, Rick, look around. It's a big box filled with food." She looked down at Judith as the little girl tugged on her hair. "She deserves more than we can offer her here. At least give this place a chance before you dismiss it entirely."

Rick sighed and looked down at his daughter, running his hand over the back of her head to smooth out some curls. He met Michonne's gaze and nodded. "I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking." She watched him reach for the photograph of the steel walls again and examine it more closely.

Daryl and Aaron came back a few minutes later, with Glenn keeping watch at the door for signs of their next guest.

Rick pulled a chair out into the middle of the floor and pointed at it. "Tell us your name."

"I'm Aaron," he held his hand out toward Rick but it was ignored.

Rick planted himself off to the side and folded his arms. "This is how it's gonna go. You tell us _everythin'_ about this place, the good and the bad, and if anyone has a question about somethin', you'll be expected to answer truthfully."

Aaron nodded and sat down, beginning a detailed description of how the community started and how many people lived there. He answered questions patiently, and the longer he spoke, the more interest he could see growing within the group.

Glenn finally whistled, indicating the man's recruiting partner was approaching, and Rick and Daryl accompanied Aaron back to the fire exit, standing on either side of the door, out of sight.

Rick's gun was trained on Aaron as the man looked through the peephole. He cocked the hammer on his Colt and aimed it at him, saying," You try to run…"

Aaron sighed and looked at Rick. "I know. It'll be the last thing I do. I understand."

Rick cocked an eyebrow at him while Aaron pushed the door open and smiled at whoever was on the other side. "Hey. Any trouble?"

A man with red, tousled hair stepped in, breathless, saying, "Nope. It's been a quiet day." He stopped short when he saw Rick and Daryl, though, and turned to Aaron with fear in his eyes.

"It's okay." Aaron put his hand on the man's arm to reassure him. "They seem like good people, they're just being cautious and I don't blame them. They wanted to meet you. I'm still filling them in about home."

All four of them returned to the group, and Aaron put his hand on the newcomer's shoulder. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my husband, Eric."

Most everyone gave at least a nod or a half-smile in greeting, but Beth was standing next to Eric, so she held her hand out and smiled, offering, "Hi. I'm Beth."

"It's so nice to meet you!" He broke into a wide grin and pumped her hand with such enthusiasm that she couldn't help but giggle.

Beth couldn't see why things needed to continue in Rick's style of interrogation so she started introducing each member of the group. Tyreese was the first to step forward and shake both Aaron and Eric's hands, and after that the atmosphere seemed to relax a bit.

Once each member of the group gave their name, Eric turned to his husband with a huge smile, shaking his head. "We've never come across a group this big before. I'm going to need to bring nametags to remember everyone!"

Rick was the one to bring his group back to reality. He'd been hanging back from socializing with their guests, and now he held his hands up.

The whole group went quiet when he spoke. "Alright now, this isn't a decision to be taken lightly. You all know what we've been through; what trusting strangers has cost us before." There wasn't a face that didn't fall as they all thought back on their losses.

"This is something we need to discuss carefully, and vote on as a group." Rick looked at each member of his family. After everything, he considered them all his blood, and didn't want anyone making rash decisions over something this big.

Aaron and Eric were ushered into one of the offices and the door was closed behind them so everyone could talk freely.

Rick didn't say much. He just listened to the others opinions, but everyone seemed to sense that he had the most doubts.

Maggie was still looking over the photo of the children playing, and glanced up when there was a momentary pause in the discussion. "I know it's too easy to get your hopes up out here. Just about anything seems better than livin' day by day the way we've been, but this place seems like it could be good for us."

She glanced down at the picture in her hands again and then at Glenn, and something unspoken passed between them. She went on, "If we don't like it, we don't have to stay, right? But I think we need to take this chance."

Glenn rubbed her back and nodded at her, and she drew in a shaky breath, looking around at the group again. "And where they have a doctor, Glenn and I feel this is a chance that _we_ need to take, because I'm pregnant."

There was a general intake of breath from the rest of the group, followed by laughter and congratulations. Beth jogged over and threw her arms around her sister excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!"

Maggie held her tight, tears forming in her eyes when she pulled back and laughed. "I'm sorry. I was gonna tell you, but this whole situation was kind of sprung on us and we had to kind of let the cat out of the bag a little early."

Beth grinned and wiped the tears from her sister's cheeks, shaking her head. "Don't be silly. All that matters is that you're doing okay. Do you know how far along you are?"

"Almost three months, I think. I'm actually feeling pretty good. Just a little nausea that comes and goes."

Beth gave Maggie's hand a squeeze and returned to her place next to Daryl so the others could wish the couple well, too. She noticed Rick had gone over to shake Glenn's hand and give Maggie a hug, and when he walked back to his spot he seemed to accept that the group needed this.

One final vote was done. Each person, in turn, voted yes, ending with Rick. He cocked his head in agreement. "It's settled then. Maybe this place will be the answer to our prayers, but until we know that for sure, everybody keeps their eyes and ears open for any signs that say otherwise."

Each person nodded solemnly, and Daryl walked over to the office door to get Aaron and Eric.

The two men came out and looked at the group expectantly, cringing slightly under the withering stare that Rick aimed at them. The former sheriff regarded them stiffly, then walked forward and finally held his hand out for Aaron to shake, saying, "So, how do we do this?"

Aaron let out the breath he'd been holding in and shook Rick's hand with relief. "The safe zone is just over a two hour drive away." He glanced at Eric. "We both have vehicles parked not far from here on 20, the old highway, but I don't think they'd be enough for everyone. Do you have a car or anything?"

Daryl spoke up. "There's a school bus we drove here on the other side of the warehouse."

"Good. Good." Aaron couldn't help but turn and look at the pallets of food next to them. "And, I have to ask. Is all of this…staying here?"

Rick's gaze moved over to Daryl, who nodded his head once. He rested his hand on his Python out of habit, and said, "There's a truck parked back by the receiving door. If we can get it running we'll load it up….as a gesture of good will on our part." He glanced over at Maggie. "Maybe some baby stuff, too," and she nodded gratefully.

Daryl touched Beth's arm and started walking back to where the bus was parked. "We'll go have a look. See if there's any walkers on that side of the buildin'."

"Alright." Rick looked to the other members of their group. "Everyone take a lantern and start taggin' the best pallets, supply-wise, to take with us. I don't know how many the truck holds but it's gotta be at least fifteen or twenty. Look for diapers and formula, too…the works. We don't know how long it'll be before we get back here."

Beth and Daryl jogged back toward the large doors while the rest got to work. There was a sliver of light under each door, but it wasn't really big enough to see out of. Daryl grabbed the chain that Rick had used to drop it when they'd arrived, but changed his mind. "Don't wanna lift this up until we have to. Makes an awful racket."

Beth looked over to the far corner, remembering the single door they'd tried when they first got there. There was a tiny beam of daylight coming out from the upper half of it, and she started walking toward it. "There's a peephole over there. I'll go take a look."

She ran up to the door and placed her palms against it, lining her eye up to see out. "There's maybe 30 walkers moving around the parking lot, mostly away from the building though." Beth looked to the left, seeing the long truck, but it blocked her view of the bus. "The truck is in the way, so I can't tell if there's any walkers inside the bus, but I don't see any legs around it."

"Okay." Daryl pulled up the back door of the truck, wincing as the metal made a clanking noise. Thankfully, the inside was empty except for two stacks of empty wooden pallets. "We'll load all the stuff on here and hope there's gas in this thing. I can hotwire it no problem, but we're gonna need a hell of a distraction to get the walkers away from here so I can get out and try the engine."

Beth nodded. "I think we can manage that."

* * *

Rick would be driving the bus, so he and Daryl were leaned over a map with Aaron, deciding on the best route to get to where their cars were parked. The others had only found two jacks that weren't electric, so they were busy hauling each pallet back and loading them on the truck. The walkers that were nearby must have sensed the movement inside the trailer as they started gathering around outside it.

After nearly an hour, everything was ready.

Glenn shoved two flares he'd found inside his belt and walked into the office in the farthest corner of the building where Tyreese was waiting with a fire extinguisher. Aaron stayed in the room with them, clutching his walkie-talkie anxiously, and everyone else headed to the receiving doors to wait.

Beth positioned herself at the door's peephole again and called over to Eric, "Alright, tell them to start."

Eric nodded and spoke into his radio, "Okay, honey. I mean…Aaron. We're ready."

Tyreese heard the message come through and lifted the fire extinguisher up, smashing both windows in the office. He and Glenn pulled chairs underneath each one, stepping up so they could be seen by the walkers, and started yelling and banging pots together that they'd found in the employee lounge.

The crowd of undead started surging toward them, gathering underneath the windows and reaching up with their rotting hands, and the smell of decaying flesh quickly became overwhelming, both men having to pull their t-shirts up over their noses to stand it.

Every walker on that side of the building was headed in their direction, and a few even rounded the corner from the receiving side.

Eric's voice came through the radio again. "Beth said to keep going, they're starting to clear out from around the truck." Aaron had to relay the message through several shouts in order for Glenn and Tyreese to hear it.

Several minutes later Beth couldn't see any sign of walkers left on their side, so she looked over at Daryl, who stood by the receiving door waiting for her signal, and nodded at him. She jogged over as he pulled the chain to raise the door, grabbing Eric's walkie momentarily and speaking into it. "Don't let up, guys, we're going out now to see if we can get the truck started."

Daryl had paused from jumping down into the bus to glare at Beth. "Ain't no 'we'. I'm goin' out alone."

"I wasn't askin' your permission, Daryl." Beth spun her finger in the air and gestured outside. "Come on, time's a tickin'. Age before beauty."

Someone in the back coughed with supressed laughter, despite the tension in the air, and Daryl rolled his eyes, well aware it would do no good to argue with her. He climbed down into the bus and muttered under his breath. "Beauty was a horse, y'know."

"Yeah, yeah. I heard that." Beth swung down after him and landed on the floor of the bus, about to take a step forward but a boney hand grabbed onto her left ankle. She gasped and grabbed on to the seats in front of her, twisting around to see a walker standing outside the back of the bus.

One had lingered there, despite all the noise Glenn and Tyreese were making, and it had reached in through the open emergency exit and latched onto her. The ends of several of its fingers had been snapped off, exposing glistening pointed bone and Beth could see they were starting to cut through her boot. She yanked her leg away, but it still wasn't enough to release its grip on her.

The bone dug deeper into the leather and Beth started to panic, and then realized what an idiot she was being. Someone on the loading dock was making an attempt to stab the walker in the head, and they couldn't quite reach, but she beat them to it. She lifted her right leg and spun around on her left foot, swinging her other boot back and drop kicked the walker's head against the warehouse, watching it sink down out of sight.

Beth turned to run after Daryl but he was standing in front of her with a worried expression, knife in hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I got it." She nodded, breathless. "Let's get to the truck."

There were no other walkers to be seen around the two vehicles, and Daryl climbed up to try the driver's door. It was unlocked, and he climbed in, reaching over to unlock the passenger side for Beth.

While he pried off a panel under the ignition with his hunting knife, Beth sat across from him and kept watch for any walkers coming back around. She could hear the chorus of moans coming from the other side, and turned to see Daryl cutting the wires and separating one color from the rest. He stripped back the insulation coating the tip of each half, exposing the bare wire underneath, and touched them together quickly.

It rolled over and sputtered. He touched the wires again, and the diesel engine roared to life. The sound of it idling seemed like the loudest thing in the world to Beth, and she turned to watch the far corner of the warehouse, seeing two walkers stagger around it and head in their direction.

Daryl glanced out the driver's window at the bus, seeing most everyone was already on, all except for the three inside the building. He watched Eric speak into his walkie-talkie, and released the emergency brake on the truck, ready to leave.

* * *

Aaron yelled at Glenn and Tyreese that it was time to go, and both men dropped their pots onto the floor. Glenn passed one of the flares to Ty and they lit them, leaning out the window and throwing them to the right as far as they could, even further away from their escape vehicles. Many of the walkers stayed under the windows, but the rest on the outskirts of the herd followed the bright red smoke to where each flare landed.

The three men turned and ran all the way back to the receiving doors. Aaron and Glenn climbed down into the bus without much problem, but Tyreese struggled to fit through from that angle.

He finally gave up and stepped onto the school bus's roof, walking quickly toward the front and sliding down the windshield and off the engine bonnet. The two walkers that were first to come around the corner were just rounding the front of the truck as Ty landed on the ground, and Daryl rolled the eighteen wheeler forward, knocking them over so the man could climb on board the bus safely.

Daryl nodded at Rick, and started driving across the parking lot toward the exit. Beth looked through her side window and breathed a sigh of relief, seeing more walkers only just start rounding the corner, drawn by the new source of noise.

The bus was close behind them when they approached the chain link fence by the main road and Daryl aimed the truck at the center latch. Both sides of the gate flew open, and they were on the open road once again, hopefully headed to their new home.

 **Bye bye, warehouse. Destination...Alexandria Safe Zone.**

 **Please take the time to leave a comment!**


	26. Chapter 26

Daryl glanced down at the fuel gauge as they followed behind Eric's sedan. They'd been driving for nearly two hours, starting with a quarter of a tank. It was now reading an eighth.

"You think it'll be enough?" Beth looked over, the air from the open window blowing her hair around her face.

"Should be. These have pretty big gas tanks." He slowed down and carefully steered the rig around a series of large potholes where the pavement was crumbling.

"Aaron and Eric seem pretty nice."

"Mmhmm." Daryl kept his eyes on the road and shifted up, gaining speed again. "I guess."

"You think this place will be okay?" Beth pulled a few wisps of hair away from her mouth and rested her elbow on the door again.

Daryl shrugged. "No point in guessin' before we get there. It is what it is."

She rubbed her temple thoughtfully as the trees passed by, staring ahead into the distance. "I hope it turns out to be as good as they said. Maggie and Glenn deserve to have a safe place to raise their baby. I can't believe I'm gonna be an aunt." Beth smiled just thinking about it.

Daryl snorted softy to himself and rocked a little in his seat when the truck went over another rough patch. "Aunt Beth." He gave her a teasing glance. "Who's the old one now?"

Beth chuckled and folded a leg underneath her.

The smile soon slipped from her face, though, as she watched the car ahead of them, getting lost in her thoughts again. She whispered, "I just want them _all_ to be safe, y'know?"

Daryl glanced over at her. "They will be."

She sighed and tapped her fingers against her leg, nodding, and turned her eyes back to the road. "Honestly? It's gonna be nice to sleep in a bed again, too."

Beth watched Daryl lift a bottle of water to his mouth, and she said evenly, "I mean, there's a lot of us, though. You and I might have to share one, I suppose."

He choked on the drink he'd just taken, and looked over at her, startled. Beth grinned cheekily when she saw his expression, and he narrowed his eyes at her, wiping the water off his chin with the back of his hand, saying, "Doubt that."

The idea of sharing a bed with him did something to her insides, though. Beth shook her head and tried to think of something else, but it didn't help that since she'd changed positions the thick seam at the crotch of her jeans was pressing between her legs in a really delicious way; coupled with the fact that her bladder was a little full so the extra pressure there just seemed to intensify the sensation.

Beth cursed her hormones. They were on their way to a new community, her family's future uncertain, and she was getting…horny? Not exactly the best timing.

The truck went over another couple bumps and Beth bounced up and down, closing her eyes briefly, and groaned under her breath. She should probably get her leg out from under her and sit normally on the seat again, but goddammit if this wasn't feeling _really_ good, especially with Daryl sitting only a couple feet away from her to fuel her imagination. It was only too easy to imagine his hand slipping inside her jeans. Beth made a strangled sound that she tried to pass off as a cough and raised a hand to her cheek, feeling flushed, then dropped it to the seat beside her again.

Daryl looked across at Beth, puzzled at her sudden change in demeanor. "You alright? You carsick or somethin'?"

Beth stared straight ahead for a couple seconds and huffed in annoyed amusement, suddenly tired of taking things slow with him. She didn't know how he was feeling, but it seemed like forever since she'd had an orgasm, and dear god, it would be nice to get some relief. Since she'd been reunited with Daryl there'd been times when she'd felt wound pretty tight, sexually, and with a group this size, and living the way they'd been, you just don't get the opportunity to take care of business, so to speak.

The frustration was making her feel brave, so she decided to just throw it out there and let the chips fall where they may.

Beth examined his face for a long minute. The heat in her gaze made him do a double take, and he struggled to keep his focus on the road, waiting for her to say something.

She finally drew in a deep breath and said, "Daryl, don't drive the truck off the road, okay? But all I can think about right now is crawlin' over on your lap and grindin' myself against you." She looked over at his dazed expression and didn't even feel bad.

Her words hung in the air between them. There had been several comfortable moments of silence between them during the drive, but this one was very different. Beth looked out her window again, pressing the nail of her thumb against her lips and feeling a wave of giddiness come over her. She could hardly believe she'd just said that, but when she glanced back over at Daryl he was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. For a second, Beth felt a flash of worry that she'd crossed a line, but when she looked closer, she realized he was trying to adjust his growing erection.

Daryl's knuckles turned white as they gripped the steering wheel, and he swallowed awkwardly. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Beth had to drag her eyes away from his obvious arousal, wondering how far she could take this, and shrugged. She trailed her hand up her thigh and licked her lips, pointing a lazy finger in between her legs, taking in his reaction. "The seam of my jeans, it's pressin' up against _there_ , and it's kind of…drivin' me crazy."

She felt a wave of calm come over her, like talking about this was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm afraid I'm gettin' really wet."

Uttering those words, Beth hardly recognized the huskiness in her own voice. It felt incredibly naughty, but the response she was getting from Daryl was more than worth any risk of embarrassment.

Daryl stared straight ahead, a look almost resembling anguish crossing his face, and he gripped the steering wheel even harder, muttering a pained, "Jesus Christ."

They drove on for a few more seconds, and as Daryl digested what she'd said he pulled himself up straighter in his seat and suggested feebly, "Maybe you should just sit like you were. Maybe that'd help."

Beth ran her hand back and forth over the top of her leg, seeing Daryl watching out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head and said in a breathless voice, "Don't want to. It feels really good."

To prove her point further she rocked from side to side a couple times, exhaling through her mouth shakily as another wave of pleasure coursed through her.

"Beth…"

"Daryl…"

She looked down and moved her hand over to the button of her jeans, slowly undoing it and tucking the tips of her fingers just inside her waistband before looking over at him. His mouth was gaping open and he took his eyes off the road just long enough that he had to swerve around another pothole at the last second.

Beth met his gaze, feeling more turned on than ever, and whispered, "Maybe I should just take care of it now and this ache will go away."

He half reached out with his hand and then stopped himself, jerking the steering wheel unintentionally. Beth imagined the people on the bus behind them were probably wondering what the hell was going on, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

When Daryl looked at her again it was with an air of possessiveness, and he growled his reply at her, "You ain't doin' nothin' of the kind."

Beth pulled her hand away from her open button and slid it down along the outside of her jeans, lightly caressing the fabric over her clit. "But, Daryl, I…"

"You're mine." Daryl blurted it out, seeming like he was having a sudden revelation of his own. "You're mine, and it's my job to look after ya like that, not yours." He flexed his hands on the wheel, his face an odd mix of fear and acceptance.

Beth stared at him, enthralled by his sudden proclamation. It felt like the wind had just been sucked out of her lungs, but in a good way. She was only able to enjoy the feeling for a second, though, when they rounded a turn in the road and she saw his eyes focus on something in the distance. It was the Safe Zone.

They'd been driving with woods on either side for some time, but now the road led them through an open area, nearly a mile long, and their vehicles were flanked by fields of long grass.

And up ahead was the wall.

The trees directly outside it looked like they'd been trimmed down to allow for clear site lines for the people patrolling the top of it. Daryl could see two on watch, both holding what looked like automatic weapons.

Aaron pulled up to the gate and got out of his car, walking over to speak through the iron bars with the man on the other side. He gestured animatedly back at the truck and the school bus behind it, and the other man nodded, drawing the gate to the side to let them in.

Daryl drove in slowly after them, parking the truck behind them where they brought their cars to a stop further up the paved street. He and Beth looked around, surprised. All the houses were huge and expensive-looking. It was a neighborhood that neither of them would have ever come near before the turn.

Beth brought her leg down beside the other and put her hand on the door latch, ready to jump out, but Daryl stopped her. She looked around at him, the tips of his fingers having just brushed down the side of her arm, and was immediately caught in the intensity of his gaze.

"Soon as the introductions or whatever are over, you and me are goin' for a walk, girl."

She smirked at him and said, "That a promise, ?"

"Mmmhmm." He growled his response back at her, and the low rumble of his voice made Beth shiver with anticipation.

They joined the rest of their family in the street who were all staring up at the houses with awe. Beth saw Tara set Buddy down and smiled as he ran across someone's front lawn and disappeared into the bushes. At least _he_ was confident about the place.

Aaron was talking to Rick, and the man from the gate walked over and addressed them. He was young, in his twenties, and he nodded at the group, his gaze pausing when it came to Beth.

"Welcome, everyone, to Alexandria Safe Zone. My name is Spencer. My mother, Deanna, is being informed of your arrival and she'll want to interview each one of you in turn. We do have a policy, though, that all firearms need to be confiscated upon entry, so if you'll just pass them over." A lady was approaching them with a cart and he gestured toward it.

Rick squinted at the man, clearly taking affront to the suggestion that they hand over their weapons.

Spencer noticed his reaction and held his hands up in a placating gesture. "We're just interested in keeping the peace, and honestly, we don't know you."

"Yeah, well we don't know you." Rick spit the words back at the man.

There was a brief pause, and then Michonne pulled the strap of her automatic weapon over her head and laid it calmly on the cart, eying Rick evenly. He shook his head slowly at her, obviously thinking it was a bad idea, but the rest of the group followed her lead, stacking all their guns next to hers.

Eric had disappeared for a short time once they'd arrived, and now walked up to his husband and spoke quietly with him. Aaron nodded and turned to the group's leader. "Rick, Deanna is ready to talk to you, if you'll come with me."

Rick stood with his hands on his hips, clearly listening to the words being spoken to him, but still scanning the rooftops of the houses around them for any signs of danger before he left the group alone. Michonne caught his gaze and nodded silently, telling him without words that they'd be okay.

Beth stood next to Daryl's side, the promise of their time alone momentarily forgotten as they stood awkwardly in the street with the rest of their family, feeling exposed in this new place.

* * *

Rick was only gone for about twenty minutes when he returned, looking slightly calmer but still on edge.

He joined the group, standing closest to Michonne and Daryl, although everyone else listened closely to what he had to say. "Seems like the place is run by this woman I just talked to. She's the politician type, literally. Very...diplomatic."

Rick stood with his hands on his hips, still scanning the area around them relentlessly. "Couldn't really get a feel for how the place is run, but I got the impression they've been pretty sheltered here. She outright said they need us.

"Apparently, if we stay, we'd all be given jobs. Not sure of much yet beyond that."

Aaron opened his mouth to select the next person to see Deanna but Daryl beat him to it. He started walking in the direction Rick had come from, crossbow slung over his shoulder, and Aaron had to jog behind him to catch up.

* * *

Daryl took even less time than Rick. Barely ten minutes had elapsed and he was back out on the street with them, looking relieved it was over. "Sure is the chatty type. Don't look like she'd survive a day outside these walls, neither. None of these people do."

Aaron caught Beth's eye and looked at her questioningly and she nodded. Daryl clasped the fingers of her hand loosely before she walked away and she smiled up at him, squeezing his in return.

"Don't be nervous." Aaron glanced over at her, "I know this may seem odd, being interviewed, but just be yourself. She really is a nice person."

Beth shrugged and said, "I'm sure I'll be fine." She paused and thought for a second, wondering if she should ask. "Actually, do you have somewhere I can go to the bathroom real quick first?"

"Oh, sure, "he said easily, "right in here." They walked up the steps of yet another enormous house and crossed through the foyer where he gestured to a small washroom. "Take your time."

Beth walked into the small room and shut the door behind her hesitantly, having expected to be directed to an outhouse or something.

She lifted up the lid on the toilet, peering inside and finding clear water, and pulled her pants down to have a pee. While she sat she looked around.

The room was bright and spotlessly clean, and her gaze drifted over to the sink where she could see a drop of water hanging from the faucet. She finished quickly, turning on the tap and watching the water run in amazement before washing her hands. Beth looked up at her reflection in the mirror and took in her disheveled appearance, splashing her face and scrubbing, suddenly embarrassed to be so dirty in such a clean place.

Aaron was waiting patiently for her in the hall, and he held his hand out to a set of French doors. Beth had been trying to form a mental picture of the woman based on Rick and Daryl's comments, but her first impression was nothing like she'd imagined.

A trim woman in her late fifties with shoulder length brown hair rose from where she'd been seated on a leather couch. She smiled and nodded at Aaron, and he left the two alone.

The woman stepped forward and held out her hand, giving her guest the space to decide if she was comfortable with the gesture, and Beth just stared at her for a moment, caught off guard by the simple formality that now seemed like an ancient custom.

She moved close enough to grasp the woman's hand lightly. It was completely smooth. No callouses. The hand of someone who likely had never been acquainted with physical labor.

The woman smiled and said, "I'm Deanna Monroe. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Beth Greene." She gave a tentative smile in return, but couldn't stop herself from looking down at Deanna's shoes, an immaculate pair of pointy leather slip-ons with a small heel. All Beth could think of was how impractical they would be for running when your life depended on it.

Deanna gestured to a wing chair across from the couch for her to sit in and asked, "Do you mind if I record our conversation, Beth?"

There was a small video camera on a tripod behind the couch that Beth hadn't noticed at first, and she wondered if she should say no.

"Rick and Daryl both agreed, although I doubt I got much of Daryl on camera. He just paced the whole time."

Beth chuckled to herself at the mental image. She approached the chair and sat down, but not before her gaze lingered on the dozens of books lining the shelves on the wall. "I guess I don't mind."

Deanna pressed record and seated herself again, glancing behind Beth at the bookcase. "Do you like to read?"

"I used to." Beth shifted in the chair, not used to sitting on furniture. "I kind of miss it."

"Well, we have lots of books here." Deanna smiled. "Now, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, Beth?"

Beth felt herself tense and she gripped the arms of the chair tightly, not wanting to talk about her family with a perfect stranger.

Deanna's gaze took in Beth's reaction, but she sat quietly, waiting for a response.

"I grew up on a farm," Beth said in a whisper and averted her eyes, willing herself not to start thinking about her losses.

Seeing how uncomfortable the young woman before her was, Deanna tried to move the subject on to something less personal. "So, you're familiar with farming?"

Beth nodded, relieved, and said, "Quite a few of us are. We grew some crops at one of the places we lived."

And instantly a memory of her father came back to her, kneeling on the ground in his dirty overalls to teach Rick some new technique at the prison. Beth remembered how hot it had been that day. She'd brought them out something cool to drink and the memory of the warm smile he'd given her made her suck in a painful breath.

She looked at Deanna, feeling tears welling in her eyes, and shook her head quickly, saying, "I'm sorry. I can't."

Deanna held her hand up in understanding. "It's okay. I'm sorry if my questions are bringing up difficult memories. I can only imagine what you've all been through. Is there anything else you can tell me about yourself, just for the sake of figuring out an appropriate job for you? Any special skills?"

Beth thought to herself a moment, presuming Deanna wouldn't appreciate her ability to make random objects around the room float in the air as a special skill, so she answered with something more typical. "I sing, and play the piano. Oh, and I'm a decent shot. Daryl and I usually do pretty good at hunting."

"You and Daryl?" Deanna seemed surprised.

Beth was puzzled for a second by the woman's question, and then caught on and smiled easily. "You know, one of my English teachers used to say that if you try to read a book by its cover you'll be disappointed every time."

Deanna's eyebrows raised, seeming impressed by Beth's answer, and she nodded. "On that we can agree." She mulled over the idea of them hunting and smiled, standing up. "I can't say anyone would turn down the prospect of fresh meat around here. As for your musical ability, I believe one of the houses that's available for your group has a piano. My only request is that you share your gift with the rest of us on occasion. It would be wonderful to hear live music again."

"Sure." Beth rose to her feet, eager to get back to her family.

As she was leaving, Deanna call out to her. "If there's anything you need, you let myself or Aaron know."

"Thanks." Beth gave a small wave on her way out and headed back to her group, finding them a little further up the street than where she left them.

Aaron was addressing them and pointing at two large houses that were side by side.

"I apologize for leaving you out here waiting so long. These homes should be plenty big to accommodate all of you. I'll hang around to see each of the rest of you to Deanna, but after that feel free to explore and introduce yourselves."

He left with Maggie for her interview, and the rest of them stared up at the houses, looking overwhelmed.

Beth was the first to jog up the steps of one. She called back to Daryl behind her, unable to contain her excitement. "Deanna said one of them has a piano. I wanna stay in that one!"

He followed close behind her, content to let her lead the way. It turned out the first house she picked had an upright piano off to one side of the spacious living room, and she sat down on the bench, lifting up the cover to reveal the keys. Beth played a few notes and Daryl saw her wince at the sound.

He came over beside her and asked, "Out of tune?"

"Yeah." She pushed herself back on the bench, disappointed. "I don't know how to do it, either."

Daryl lifted up the top and looked inside. "Might take some time, but I'll figure it out. Don't worry."

She reached for his hand and smiled up at him when Rick walked in and looked at Daryl, saying, "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Beth got up and headed for the door, looking over her shoulder at Daryl. "I'll be outside. I'm gonna see how the others are doing."

She joined Glenn where he stood out in the street, waiting for Maggie to return before checking out the houses.

He seemed distracted, so Beth nudged his arm and asked, "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

He sighed and looked around, taking in the seemingly perfect neighborhood. "Almost seems too good to be true, doesn't it?"

Beth followed his gaze, understanding his concern, and offered quietly, "Maybe. Or maybe this _is_ a good place and we're just afraid to believe in it."

Glenn looked down at his sister-in-law and squeezed her shoulder with affection. "You know, you remind me of your Dad when you say reassuring stuff like that."

She gave a small laugh, even though the thought of it brought fresh tears to her eyes. "Thanks."

They saw Maggie walking toward them, and with no Aaron in sight to accompany the next person to see Deanna, her sister and Glenn decided to have a look inside the houses. Beth stayed outside, waiting for Daryl, when she heard someone approaching. She turn to see the young man who'd asked for their guns jogging toward her.

He held a hand up as he drew near. "Hey."

Beth smiled and turned to face him. "Hi."

He stopped a few feet away, a little out of breath, and smiled back at her. "My name's Spencer."

She laughed softly and nodded. "Yeah, I know. You introduced yourself earlier."

"Oh, yeah. Right." Spencer stuck his hands in his pockets sheepishly and looked down at his shoes.

"I'm Beth." She felt kind of bad for the guy. He seemed nervous for some reason.

He brought his gaze up to meet hers and smiled back at her for just a little too long without saying anything else. She raised her eyebrows, waiting to see why he came over, and asked, "Did you need somethin'?"

Spencer seemed to snap out of it then. He laughed nervously and scratched his forehead before replying, "I just wanted to say if you needed someone to show you around the place, I'd be more than happy to."

Some movement on the porch caught Beth's attention and saved her from having to turn the offer down politely.

She looked up to see Daryl standing with his crossbow over his shoulder, eyes trained on Spencer like a hawk. He walked down the steps and up to Beth, taking her hand firmly in his and staring evenly at the other man.

Spencer looked down at their joined hands and his face went pale as he took in Daryl's stern expression.

Daryl turned to Beth, and in a low voice said, "Let's go for that walk."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled without saying a word.

"A walk? But you just got here." Spencer looked back and forth between the two of them, but Beth's attention was fully on Daryl.

Daryl replied without even looking at him. "Smart one, ain't you?" He was too busy watching the way Beth's lips parted as he moved his thumb back and forth along the outside of her hand.

"But…"

"We can leave whenever we want to, right?" Daryl's gaze moved sharply to the younger man's face.

Spencer nodded dumbly, his eyes shifting to Beth, looking utterly depressed.

Daryl started walking toward the gate impatiently with Beth in tow. "Well, then let us out, Einstein." They reached the entrance to the community and he grabbed the bars, turning to see Spencer trailing behind them dejectedly. He snapped at him, "Don't hurry or nothin'."

Spencer reluctantly unlatched the gate and slid it open for the two to get out, and as Daryl lead Beth past him she looked up apologetically and giggled, mouthing 'sorry', and he watched the two disappear into the woods with a defeated sigh.

 **Sooooooooo...yeah. That's how Beth finally broke down Daryl's final wall, by succumbing to her hormones briefly. Lol *shrugs* Whatever works.**  
 **I've often wondered how Beth's interview with Deanna would have gone on the show if she'd made it to the safe zone. I think they specifically didn't show Maggie's on purpose, but if we'd seen both, I really think they haven't had time to really process or even grieve over the death of their father. I can totally see Beth not being able to talk about it with a complete stranger. It's still too raw.**  
 **Now...let's see how her "walk" goes with Daryl...**

 **Comments are always welcome! Please take a second to leave one if you liked the chapter.**


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl kept up a brisk pace until they were in the woods and out of sight of the safe zone, and Beth giggled as he tugged her along.

She said, "You could have been a little nicer to that guy, Daryl."

"Woulda been, if he hadn't been droolin' over you like he was."

She laughed as he finally slowed down and said, "He wasn't droolin' over me!"

Daryl turned around and snorted. "You kiddin' me? He was fawnin' all over you like a puppy dog. If you'd had a stick to throw he woulda fetched it."

Beth chuckled, rolling her eyes, and watched him closely when he stopped a few feet away from her and wouldn't meet her gaze. Then something dawned on her and she grinned even wider, stepping up to him and grabbing the edges of his vest to ask him in a soft voice. "Are you jealous?"

His eyes locked with hers for a brief moment and then darted away as he shook his head.

She smiled up at him warmly and tugged on his vest to get his attention. He looked down at her and she said, "You've got no reason to be jealous, Daryl Dixon. You're the one I want. You and nobody else."

The sincerity in her voice seemed to convince him, and his posture relaxed a bit, leading Beth to step a bit closer and raise an eyebrow at him, her voice dropping lower. "Now, you're not gonna break that promise you made me, are you, ?"

Daryl shook his head and brushed some stray hairs away from her face, his warm hand coming to rest at the side of her neck. She licked her lips and dropped her gaze to his mouth. "Then kiss me."

He let the strap of his crossbow slide off his shoulder and dropped it to the ground, backing her up against the tree she was standing next to. Beth felt his fingers weave into her hair and he stood perfectly still, just drinking her in and prolonging the anticipation she felt.

Daryl's thumb brushed over her cheek slowly, and she stared up at him in awe, overwhelmed by the complete trust she had in the man before her.

Daryl leaned down slowly and brushed his lips against hers, tenderly at first, but the kiss soon escalated into something more heated. Remembering what Beth liked from before, he ran the tip of his tongue against hers when she opened her mouth wider, eagerly allowing him entry, and sure enough he was rewarded with the moans he loved hearing her make.

Beth's hands snaked around his waist, pulling him closer, but his stayed on either side of her head, cradling it with care even as their mouths moved against each other more roughly. She moved her leg over, hitching it up alongside his, trying to feel as much of him against her as possible, and Daryl responded by grinding himself against her. He hit just the right spot, making her cry out in pleasure, and he pulled back in concern, saying gruffly, "Did I hurt you?"

She stared up at him, out of breath, and hooked her fingers in his belt loops. "No. God, no. Do that again, please."

He smirked and she pulled him closer with a grin, and his lips found hers again. Daryl pressed himself against her in the same spot, looking down at her to see her reaction, and she bit her lip, finally opening her mouth the second time he did it to release a low moan from deep inside her.

Daryl rested his forehead against hers, breathing hard, and said, "Tell me what you want." He swallowed and drew in another shaky breath, opening his eyes to look down at her.

Beth was beside herself with desire, her hands sliding up to his shoulders, but then she changed her mind and dropped one to unbutton her jeans while he watched and then met his gaze, breathing out the only words she could think of. "Touch me, Daryl. Just touch me everywhere."

He nodded and leaned down to drag his open mouth over her neck, stopping to place a wet kiss every few inches until he got to her ear and drew the lobe into his mouth, sucking on it slowly and pulling back just enough to speak in a low voice in her ear. "Wanted to do that for a while."

Beth shivered at the sensation and laughed softly, her head lolling back against the tree, eyes closed, feeling utterly intoxicated by his touch.

Daryl worked his way over to the other side of her neck, drawing more contented sighs from her as he did the same there, too, this time opening his mouth at the nape of her neck and dragging his teeth along her pale skin, making her whimper against him.

Her left hand slid down his vest and found its way to the front of his pants, palming the length of his erection, and it was his turn to groan, but after a brief moment he reached down and brought her hand up to his waist, shaking his head and saying, "Nuh uh. This is all you."

She looked disappointed at his words, but soon forgot about it when his hands dipped inside her open jacket and slid around to her back, kneeding it at first and then reaching down to lift up the back of her t-shirt so her bare flesh was exposed slightly. Daryl moved his hands over her skin, around to her sides, and spread his fingers, rubbing his thumbs over the front of her rib cage, slowly moving one up inside her shirt until he reached her breast, hovering his hand over the cup of her bra.

Beth could only lean against the tree, spellbound, her mouth gaping open and her chest heaving. When he looked down at her, she nodded and pleaded with him not to stop, whispering, "Please."

She felt the warmth of his hand engulf her left breast, and then his thumb dragged over the hard nipple once, making her groan out loud. He brought his thumb over it again, and she whispered, "Pinch it."

He pulled down the flimsy material of her bra to the underside of her breast, leaving it exposed underneath her t-shirt, and his forefinger found the other side of her nipple, squeezing it gently. She rocked her head back and forth quickly against the tree, urging him on in a pained voice, "Harder."

Daryl rolled it between his fingers and Beth arched her back, pushing her breasts forward, wanting more. He reached up and lavished the same attention on her right one, and after a few seconds she clutched the leather of his vest.

Her cheeks were flushed and she looked up into his face, desperate for some release, and she whined in a low voice, "Daryl, I need more…"

He just nodded and pulled down the zipper of her jeans tantalizingly slow. Beth shimmied them down a few inches and waited, but Daryl seemed to freeze momentarily when he saw the top of her pubic hair.

She raised her hand and gently took his right one in hers, guiding it closer and pressing his palm outside her jeans. He felt the heat given off there and squeezed the area lightly, making her whimper. She licked her lips and spoke in a low voice, "If you don't want to, it's okay, we can just go back."

Daryl shook his head and breathed out through his nose in frustration, saying, "You got no idea how much I want to, just…you gotta tell me what feels good. I ain't never done this before…"

"I will. I promise." Beth cupped his face in her hands and placed a soft kiss on his lips, feeling him slide his hand down over her curls and into the wet heat between her legs. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sobbed, "Oh, god."

Daryl slid a finger in between the lips of her pussy and buried his head in her neck, groaning out loud at how wet she was. Drawing two fingers back and forth through her juices, he felt one fingertip brush over her entrance and heard Beth gasp. She pushed herself against his hand and he eased a finger inside as she moaned and breathed out quietly, "Yesssss."

She squeezed his forearms and made a soft grunting noise when his finger grazed a certain spot deep inside her, and she clenched around it. Her legs almost buckled when he pressed on it again and if he wasn't so horny he would have chuckled when she let loose a guttural, "Fuuuuuuck."

Beth felt him pull out his finger slowly, and she wanted to beg him to put it back in, but all forms of coherent speech left her when he trailed a finger up toward her clit and back down again.

He must have sense her stiffen in anticipation because when he dragged it up again through her juices he pressed the pad of his finger just below the sensitive spot, not quite in the right place, making her blurt out in a desperate whine, "Higher," until he felt where she meant.

She felt the heat of his breath against her neck as he pressed on it again, seeming at a loss as to what to do next. Beth slid her hand down over top of his and guided the tip of his thick middle finger in a circle around it, her voice shaking as she nodded in encouragement, saying, "There…like that." Her voice went higher as he circled it again, making a keening sound she wasn't even aware of.

Daryl felt the leather of his vest crumple inside Beth's fists as he swirled his finger around even faster, and he slid his left hand behind the small of her back, holding her close to him when he felt her start to tremble.

"Oh, god. Daryl…" She closed her eyes and whined his name softly. It was almost too much.

He made one more circle around but this time he pressed even harder, and she fell apart in his arms, bucking her hips against his hand as her orgasm rocked through her, her face buried in his neck to muffle her cries.

Daryl held her until her breathing was more even, and she pulled back a little, her hand tangled in the back of his hair, smiling up at him lazily.

He pulled his hand out of her underwear carefully and Beth's cheeks flushed even deeper when she looked at the evidence of her arousal on his fingers. She laughed under her breath and looked up at him, saying," See what you do to me?"

"You sure that was alright?" A momentary flash of doubt crossed his face.

Beth giggled and squeezed his arms, shaking her head at his lack of confidence. "It was more than just alright, Daryl. You nearly drove me out of my damn mind. And just so you know, "she leaned closer like she was going to tell him a secret," you're the first guy who's ever made me… you know, cum."

The corners of Daryl's mouth turned up in the semblance of a proud grin, and he looked at her, surprised. "You serious?"

"Dead serious." Beth nodded with a glint in her eye. "And you probably just created a monster, too, 'cause I'm gonna want to do that again real soon."

Daryl chuckled and bent to pick up his crossbow again, adjusting the erection he still had without thinking, prepared to head back, but Beth noticed and put a firm hand on his shoulder.

She looked down at the front of his pants and then back up to meet his puzzled gaze, raising an eyebrow and asking him with a little smile, "You need some help there?"

It took him a second to understand what she meant, and he gulped nervously, shaking his head. "I'm fine."

"No you're not." Beth put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

"I said I'm fine. You don't gotta do nothin'."

Beth sighed and decided on a different tactic. "You mean, when you were kissin' me," she stepped closer, keeping eye contact and then whispering against his lips, "and pinching my nipples and makin' me moan your name, you never thought about me touchin' you back?"

Daryl's breathing picked up just thinking about it, but he forced himself to shake his head stiffly.

She put her hands on his waist, raising up on her toes, and brought her mouth to his ear, breathing the words, "Not even when you felt how wet I was? Or when you slid your finger inside me? You never once imagined what it would feel like if I took you in my mouth?"

Before Beth could pull back to see his face she heard him mutter a quiet, "Fuck."

She kissed the corner of his mouth softly, and then the other side, and when she brought her mouth against his she swept her tongue along his lower lip and then murmured gently, "I want to make you feel good." She pulled back and cupped his face between her hands. "I want you to feel the way I felt. That's how it should be."

He rested his forehead against hers and scrunched his eyes shut like there was some painful debate going on inside him, but after several seconds passed she felt him nod. Beth caressed his cheeks again and whispered against his mouth, "Good, "kissing him again tenderly.

Her hands trailed down the sides of Daryl's neck, pulling open his vest carefully and skimming the tips of her fingers over the shirt underneath. Her nails grazed lightly over his nipples, drawing a low groan from deep in his chest. Beth ran her palms down over his muscles, feeling how defined he was and sighed with frustration, saying, "I wish I could take of your shirt and see you."

She couldn't stop herself from tracing where the muscles cut down into a deep V and bit her lip, imagining what he would look like, feel like, against her in bed. She sucked in a breath, feeling the muscles between her legs clench and shook her head, realizing she was getting wet all over again.

Daryl's eyes had been shut as he first experienced Beth's touch, but now he opened them, seeing her parted lips as she stared at his chest. He pulled her against him and kissed her roughly, and their hands were soon roaming everywhere, exploring each other's dips and curves in a frenzy.

Daryl returned to Beth's ear lobe, taking it in his mouth, and she purred out his name, feeling herself on the verge of becoming overpowered by her own need again and remembered that she was supposed to be focused on his pleasure.

She trailed her hand down his chest to the front of his pants, molding her palm and fingers around his erection and rubbing up and down firmly. Her earlobe popped out of his mouth and he grunted against her neck, spurring her on.

Beth stroked him through his pants until he was impossibly hard and his breaths were coming in short rasps against her neck. She placed a wet kiss under his ear and reached for his belt, trying not to fumble getting it undone. Looking up at Daryl one last time with a devilish smirk, she undid the button of his pants and drew down his zipper. When she dipped her fingertips inside the waist of his boxers he shuddered and gripped her arm, offering again, "You don't got to."

Beth smiled up at him affectionately and said, "I know. I want to."

She stretched the elastic out a bit and eased it down over the length of his cock. He was big, or at least, longer and thicker than either Zach or Jimmy. Out of the confines of his boxers his erection bobbed heavy in the air.

There had been a wet spot on the outside of his shorts, and a drop of pre-cum still sat at the tip.

Beth ran her thumb over it lightly, smearing it down the underside and over a raised vein, and Daryl cursed something unintelligible under his breath.

Wrapping her fingers around the base, Beth dropped to her knees and angled his cock toward her mouth. She licked the end and he jerked in her hand, then she opened her mouth and sucked on the head tentatively, swirling her tongue over the tip again and tasting the saltiness.

Beth happened to glance up at Daryl and his eyes were squeezed shut again. He was huffing short measured breaths in and out, and a tortured sound escaped him when she licked his entire length, sucking on the end again and letting it pop out of her mouth. She squeezed the base more firmly and took him in as deep as she could, letting the tip push between her wet lips on the way in.

It had been barely a minute since she'd gotten on her knees, and she had to shift her position slightly because a small rock was digging into her left kneecap, when Daryl gripped her shoulder and half pushed her back, his voice sounding urgent as he groaned, "Beth. Fucking hell. I ain't gonna last...you should let go."

Beth realized what he meant. The few times she'd given Jimmy and Zach blow jobs she'd always let them finish themselves off rather than swallow, but for some reason that didn't feel right with Daryl. She wanted to drive him as crazy as she'd been under his touch, so she grabbed his right hip to keep him from pulling away and worked him evenly in and out of her mouth, pressing her lips tight around the hard length of his cock.

It only took her a few more passes before she heard him grunt above her and thrust deeper in her mouth, jerking a few times. She felt his cum shooting down the back of her tongue and tried to take a breath before she swallowed but ended up gagging slightly when some went down her windpipe.

Daryl pulled out of her mouth and reached down for her in concern when she spluttered a couple times. His hand went to her shoulder, alarmed, and he asked, "Jesus. You alright?"

She just leaned back on her haunches and started laughing.

He hurriedly pushed himself back inside his pants and zipped them up before crouching in front of her, and then started smirking as she clutched her stomach and giggled uncontrollably in between her coughs, nodding her head and admitting, "I'm okay, but I think I need some more practice with that."

He rubbed his chin with obvious amusement, saying, "What am I gonna do with you, Greene?"

Beth let out a long contented sigh and cocked her head up at him with a little grin, answering, "I can think of several things."

Daryl rolled his eyes and held out his hand, helping her to her feet, and she smiled, leaning up to place a soft kiss on his mouth, saying, "Just tryin' to be helpful."

He raised an eyebrow, muttering, "Uh huh," but couldn't hide the foolish grin that spread over his face as Beth took his hand after he shouldered his crossbow again.

They started walking back toward the safe zone, side by side, their hands still linked, and the smile slowly began to fade from Daryl's expression as his thoughts wandered. He glanced over at Beth a couple times without her knowing.

She was watching a small flock of birds flying from branch to branch above them with a contented look on her face, and she finally looked over at him, sensing his gaze.

Beth smiled and playfully bumped her arm against his, asking, "What?"

He didn't return her smile though. Instead, his demeanor had evolved into something more melancholy without her noticing. She brought them to a halt, turning to face him with worry, and took his other hand. "What's wrong? You're not having second thoughts about us, are you?"

Daryl shook his head, not saying anything right away.

He just stood there, his eyes sweeping over her features. His hand drifted up, and he brushed some stray hairs from her face that were sticking to her pale skin from the heat of the day. Several seconds passed, and he opened his mouth twice to say something but seemed to struggle with finding the right words.

Finally he shook his head, frustrated with himself, and looked down at her. His voice was low and pained, and he said to her, "Don't ever leave me again, alright?"

Beth squeezed his hands, caught off guard by the serious turn their conversation had taken from just a few moments ago. She peered up into his face, seeing the traces of worry in his features and replied softly, "I'm not goin' anywhere, Daryl."

'Yeah, I know." He nodded his head, but still looked like he needed more reassurance. "But, just promise me."

She smiled up at him tenderly. "I promise. I already told you before I wasn't gonna leave you, remember?"

He nodded again and shifted his weight, staring down at her feet. "Yeah."

"And I found my way back to you then, just like I said." She ducked her head down so he'd bring his focus back up on her again.

Daryl let out a long breath, seeming to accept her answer for the time being, and together they started walking back to their new home.

 **Wooo...sexy times. Whoever said your clothes have to come off to have a good time? Not me.**

 **This is just the first little hint pointing toward Daryl's limited experience, which will come into play later, and also Beth's, but I think her laughter over her little rookie mistake made it more real. I think sex, especially the first time two people are together, is more believable if it's a little awkward and fumbling.**

 **Let me know what you thought!**


	28. Chapter 28

Daryl and Beth approached the gate, and it looked like Spencer's shift on watch duty had ended because there was someone new there, a woman in her forties with grey hair, as well as a different man.

The woman clutched her rifle closer to her chest when she first saw them but soon relaxed, having recognized them from earlier.

She disappeared from their view for a moment while she climbed down the ladder and lifted the latch on the gate, sliding it open enough for them to slip through, saying, "Spencer told us to be on the lookout for you two. My name's Erin. You're Beth and Daryl, right?"

Beth smiled, shaking the woman's hand while Daryl just gave a brief nod of his head and kept his distance.

Erin slung the strap of her weapon over her shoulder and returned Beth's smile. "I don't know all your names yet, but that'll come. It sure is nice to see to see some new faces around here."

She walked over to the base of the ladder that would take her back up to her watch post and turned with one hand on the bottom rungs. "You haven't missed much. Deanna's just finishing up with the last of your group."

The older woman glanced at her watch. "It's just about supper, too, so I'm sure you're hungry. There's probably already been someone around to stock your houses with the basics in food."

"Okay, thank you." Beth watched the woman start climbing the ladder.

Erin turned one last time when she got to the top and gave a little wave. "You have a good night."

Beth raised her hand before she and Daryl walked away, heading in the direction of their house.

The truck and school bus they'd driven there were still parked on the street, and Tyreese was just returning from his interview.

Rick came down the steps of the other house with Aaron and addressed them. "Daryl, you and I will drive our vehicles up the street for the night to their storage building and we'll start unloading the truck tomorrow. I'm gonna hold on to the bus keys for now."

Rick's gaze turned to Aaron like he was expecting him to object but the other man just shrugged lightly and said, "Whatever you're comfortable with."

Daryl touched Beth's arm and nodded up at the house, saying, "We'll be back in a few minutes. I'll meet you in there."

She nodded and started climbing the steps, looking back to see Aaron get in the truck with Daryl to show him where to go.

Pushing open the front door, she found Eugene at the piano with tools in his hands. The front panel was off and it looked like he was trying to tune it by himself.

Beth closed the door behind her and hurried over, fearing the worst. "Eugene, do you know what you're doing?"

He hit a key and adjusted a string with the hammer, only answering her after he struck the key again and nodded happily. "Yes, I do. No need to worry. Despite my horrible singing voice I was born with perfect pitch. My mother used to get me to tune her piano instead of payin' somebody, and whatever she saved each time she let me spend on books."

"Really?" Beth relaxed and watched him adjust the tension on another string. "That's so cool."

Eugene looked up at her, surprised. "You really think this is cool? I wish more pretty girls like you had thought so when I was growing up. It didn't get me any dates at all."

Beth giggled and looked around. "So how come you're in here by yourself? Where is everyone?"

"I already spoke for a bedroom in the other house, but Abraham and Rosita are currently breaking in the one next to it, so Tara made me come over here until they're finished. She said it's creepy when I listen in."

Beth snorted with laughter and turned around when she heard someone coming down the stairs. It was her sister.

Maggie looked her over and sat down on the couch. "Where've you been?"

"Daryl and I went for a walk." Beth turned back to watch Eugene, feeling her cheeks burning.

"Mmhmm."

Beth looked over her shoulder at her sister, and said, "What?"

Maggie raised an eyebrow and took in her little sister's appearance again. "Your hair always get that mussed up when you're walkin'?"

Beth automatically lifted both hands to her hair and started smoothing it down, making her look all the more guilty. Maggie leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, saying, "I knew it."

"Mind your own business, Maggie." Beth folded her arms and fought to keep her temper in check.

"Just tell me you're usin' protection. That's all I want to know."

Beth's jaw dropped open at the question, and she gestured at Eugene who was going about his business, and then back at her sister, wondering if she'd forgotten he was in the room with them.

Maggie just shrugged nonchalantly, waving her hand at him. "He doesn't care. Do you, Eugene?"

He hit another key, never taking his eyes off his work, and tightened another string. "Not really. I have become accustomed to living amongst you all with hardly any remaining social boundaries left to speak of."

Maggie nodded her head at his answer and looked back at her sister, waiting.

Beth rolled her eyes and sat down across from Maggie, speaking in a low voice even though Eugene could hear her. "If you must know, we haven't gone that far."

This time Maggie raised both her eyebrows, looking surprised. "You haven't?"

"No. He's not your typical guy that way." Beth looked defensive, like she was waiting for her sister to make a crack about Daryl, but it didn't happen.

When Beth looked at her sister Maggie had a genuinely pleased smile on her face. She sat back on the couch and said, "I'm beginning to see that."

Beth wasn't expecting that response, and she was even more surprised when Maggie spoke again.

"Well, when you do get to that point, you promise me you'll use a condom. There's a box up in the top drawer of the bathroom that Glenn found a while back. I won't be needin' them for some time. One of the perks of bein' pregnant." She grinned at Beth and folded her hands over her small baby bump.

Smiling back at her older sister, Beth pushed herself up and sat down beside Maggie excitedly, sliding her hand next to her sister's to feel it. "It's so small. I can't believe you're gonna have a baby."

"I know, me neither. But, Glenn and I have been talkin' about it for some time. Deanna said their doctor is gonna schedule me for a checkup day after tomorrow."

Glenn was just descending the stairs when the door swung open and Daryl stepped in, his eyes immediately finding Beth. "Rick said for us all to go next door and eat. Tara made somethin', I guess."

Tyreese and Sasha were already there with the others, although they'd each staked a claim for the two bedrooms on the ground floor of the house with the piano. The unmistakable aroma of food being cooked was coming from the kitchen, and Beth followed the smell, finding Tara standing over a large pot on the stove, wearing a ridiculous frilly apron.

She turned around and smiled at Beth, holding a wooden spoon in her hand. "Like my new duds?"

Beth's eyebrows couldn't have been raised any higher. "Who would've thought Martha Stewart would survive the apocalypse."

Tara grinned and waved her spoon in the air, turning back to the pot and stirring the contents. "Some chick brought us a bunch of stuff. Said we have power to cook for the next few hours so I went to town. Rotini pasta in alfredo sauce, "she raised a spoonful up and inhaled deeply, "with three cans of tuna, which I used to think was absolutely disgusting, by the way, but I'm so hungry right now I'm just about ready to make out with it."

She dropped the spoon back in the pot and put her hand on her hip, yelling out, "Are Abraham and Rosita done already? Because I'm frigging starving here!"

The sound of heavy boots came down the steps, and Abraham's voice rang out loud enough to be heard in the kitchen. "Watch your mouth, woman."

He clumped through the living room and appeared in the doorway to the kitchen with his nose in the air, sniffing. "What is that magnificent aroma? Why didn't anybody say there was food? Let's eat!"

It was tight, but all thirteen adults squeezed in around the table with their bowls of pasta. Rick held Judith on his lap, blowing on a noodle until it was cool enough to feed his daughter.

At some point, even though they were hungry, it seemed to dawn on nearly everyone how surreal the moment was and it became very quiet at the table as they looked around, struck by the sudden change in their living conditions.

Eugene was the only one who seemed undeterred by the new surroundings. He continued shovelling pasta in his mouth, oblivious to everything but the hot food before him.

Tara took another mouthful and sighed heavily, chewing as she looked at the house around them. "Yup. If somebody had told me 24 hours ago that I'd be cooking tuna alfredo in some dead guy's fancy kitchen I would've thought the cheese had slid off their cracker."

"Well, I, for one, am thankful that we're here." Abraham raised his glass of water in a toast, looking over at Tara. "I did not realize my life was incomplete until I saw you cookin' in that frilly number. "He leaned over to Rosita and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Maybe you could wear that to bed tonight."

"Ew, gross!" Tara snatched up her empty bowl and carried it into the kitchen. "Keep your pervy hands off my apron, dude."

* * *

It was getting dark outside when Rick fed Judith the last of her supper and started wiping alfredo sauce off her hands. He looked around the table where the entire group had lingered, unsure of where else to be. "It's gettin' late. Might not be a bad idea for everyone to turn in. Deanna said she'd have a group meeting with us all in the morning to talk about what jobs she's got lined up."

"And there's somethin' else. Michonne and I have already discussed it, and we've agreed that until we get a feel for this place it would be wise to have someone on watch, just at night. One person can keep an eye on both houses from either front porch, so divide it up amongst yourselves, however you want. This house will take the first four hours starting when you head back next door."

Rick's suggestion didn't seem to surprise anyone. Instead, it was a grim reminder of how precarious their safety was at any given minute. He passed Judith to Carl and watched her play with his spoon, saying, "We haven't gotten this far by bein' careless, and it would give me peace of mind knowin' one of us is out there when our guard is down."

The six of them from the other house pushed up from the table and said their goodnights on the way out.

Sasha was the first to offer to take a shift on watch. "I'll take the 2 am slot, if no one else minds. I'm not sleepin' much lately, anyway."

Tyreese held the door open for her and said, "Then I'll do the hour after you."

"Ah, no offense Ty, but you were noddin' off at the table just now. I don't think I'd be able to wake you up if I tried."

Glenn spoke up as they climbed the stairs to their front porch. "I'll take 3 am, Daryl you take 4 o'clock, and Beth will do the last one at 5."

Beth and Daryl both nodded, fine with that schedule, but Maggie looked at her husband, a little miffed that she'd been left out. "What about me?"

"My beautiful pregnant wife will be sound asleep in bed, where she should be." He rubbed her shoulders as they entered their foyer, and she laughed and rolled her eyes.

Daryl checked to make sure all the doors and windows were locked while the rest drifted off to their rooms. Beth hadn't chosen one yet so she followed Maggie and Glenn upstairs to see what was left.

They had picked the first one closest to the bathroom, and there were three other rooms along the hall. Beth liked the furthest one away from her sister and her husband, and the only one with a queen bed. Whenever she and Daryl did get to use those condoms they would need as much privacy as possible.

Beth lingered in her doorway until she heard Daryl's boots on the stairs, and she smiled up at him as he eyed the two empty bedrooms on either side of the hall, offering, "You can share this one with me, "she glanced at the bed behind her, "there's plenty of room for both of us."

"Yeah. If we share that room, there won't be much sleepin' goin' on." Daryl looked over her shoulder at the queen bed.

"That's the idea." Beth grinned up at him.

"Listen, Beth," Daryl held on to his crossbow strap and looked down at his feet awkwardly, "I know we did some foolin' around today, but losin' your…, "he swallowed thickly and stared at the bed again, "virginity is kind of a big thing, so maybe we should take this a little slower."

Beth's eyes went wide and she chuckled under her breath, giving him a puzzled look. "Daryl, I'm not a virgin."

"I don't want you rushin' into anythin'…you're what?"

"I'm not a virgin." Beth folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "I haven't been for quite a while."

"Oh." Suddenly, Daryl looked incredibly nervous standing there.

"I mean, I don't have a ton of experience, but yeah, that's not an issue if it's somethin' you were worried about. " Beth cocked her head at Daryl, who was now fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt.

An idea seemed to come to him in the moment and he shrugged, saying, "Well, we don't got any protection, so I guess we'll have to wait until I can find some, anyways. Best play it safe."

Beth shook her head happily, pointing a finger up the hall behind him. "Oh, but we do. Maggie said there's a box of condoms in the bathroom and that I'm welcome to use them."

Daryl's face fell again, and he started edging toward the door of one of the other bedrooms. "I'll just sleep in here for tonight, though. S'been a long day for both of us."

Beth was thoroughly confused by his behavior, and Daryl gave her one last apologetic look before starting to swing his door shut when she whispered, "Do I at least get a kiss goodnight?"

He looked at her guiltily and nodded, closing the distance between them in two strides and kissed her deeply. Beth's tongue found its way into his mouth and she sighed when his brushed against hers.

Trying to prolong the kiss, she started wrapping her arms around his waist, but Daryl was already starting to pull away. He stared down at her mouth, the tips of his fingers brushing lightly over it and then to her cheek, and he kissed her chastely on the lips again before reaching around behind him and gently taking her hands down from his back, letting them fall back at her sides.

Daryl gripped the knob on his bedroom door and said, "G'night. I'll wake you at 5."

She nodded, and watched his door close softly behind him.

 **So why is Daryl seemingly putting on the brakes? Some of you can probably guess, but all will be revealed in the next chapter.**

 **Please leave a comment if you liked the chapter. :)**


	29. Chapter 29

Beth tossed and turned through the night in between strange dreams where she kept searching the house for Daryl, always hearing his voice just in the next room but when she got there he was gone.

She finally fell asleep, and didn't wake until the first light of early morning was visible in the window. There was an old fashioned wind up clock sitting on the dresser close to the bed and she looked at it to see the time. It was 5:18. Daryl hadn't woken her up.

Beth swung her legs over the side of the bed and pulled her boots on quickly, hoping nothing bad had happened during his shift, and hurried down the stairs as quietly as she could.

She pulled open the front door, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife, and did a quick sweep of the front, only to find Daryl sitting on the porch swing by himself, smoking a cigarette.

His crossbow was laying at his feet, and he took another drag just as he noticed her.

Beth sat down beside him, breathing in the crisp morning air, and looked up and down the empty street. The residents here didn't seem to be early risers. All the houses were quiet.

Beth leaned back and watched the smoke from Daryl's cigarette curl away from the tip. "You didn't wake me."

He shrugged and tapped the ashes into a mug sitting on the seat beside him. "Figured you needed the sleep."

She examined his face closely. The circles under his eyes seemed even deeper this morning, and she said, "Doesn't look like you got much."

Daryl shrugged again, "It's nothin'. I'm used to it."

"Are we gonna talk about last night? "Cause if you're havin' second thoughts about us bein' more…"

His head snapped up, almost with irritation that she would believe such a thing. "It ain't that."

Beth felt at a loss, and her mind drifted, trying to come up with a valid reason for how hot and cold he'd been with her. The only answer she could think of was a long shot, and she said the words with hesitation. "If you weren't in the mood, it's okay to just say so. I'd understand."

Daryl snorted, blowing a stream of smoke out between his lips. "That definitely ain't it."

"Well, then what is it?" Beth couldn't hide how baffled she was, and turned in the seat to face him.

To her disappointment, the front door of the house next to them opened and Rick stepped outside, seeing them and raising his hand in a wave. He jogged down the steps and climbed the ones to their porch, hooking his thumbs in his pockets and looking around at the other houses. "Mornin'. How was the rest of the night?"

Daryl seemed relieved for the interruption, and dumped the butt of his smoke in the mug. "Fine. Place was quiet. Pretty sure they're all still sleepin'."

Rick nodded, saying, "I guess it may be a while before Deanna's ready to meet with us."

He looked down at Daryl. "You interested in comin' with me and checkin' out the wall at the gate? I wanna see how good their sight lines are there. It struck me when we drove in yesterday that some more trees could stand to be cut down. Might be worth bringin' up later at the meeting."

Daryl nodded and reached down for his crossbow, getting to his feet quickly to follow Rick. He turned at the top of the steps and shifted uncomfortably before lifting his eyes to meet Beth's.

She was sitting dejectedly on the swing, looking up at him, her eyes filled with worry that something was wrong between them. He asked in a low voice, "I'll see you at the meeting?"

Beth just nodded silently, keeping eye contact with him. He chewed on the pad of his thumb before walking back spontaneously and kissing her on the lips, pausing when he pulled away to look at her seriously. "We'll talk later, alright?"

She smiled at him tentatively and nodded, whispering, "Okay."

Watching the two men head for the gate, Beth decided to go back inside and see if anyone else was up. They were all in the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards to see what food had been brought for them the day before, and she joined in with the chatter, determined to keep herself occupied until the time came for her conversation with Daryl.

* * *

"Thank you all for being here." Deanna smiled and straightened the papers in front of her, looking around at the newest members of their community.

Four long tables had been arranged in an informal square to accommodate everyone, and she was about to begin when a tall man with grey hair and glasses brought a cup of coffee over to her.

She smiled up at him and said, "Thank you, honey. Everyone, I'd like you to meet my husband, Reg. He's the one that designed the wall."

Everyone gave some form of greeting. Beth sat beside Daryl, finding it hard not to notice that Rick was shifting impatiently in his seat for the meeting to start.

Deanna continued on, "I have a list of jobs here, and I hope I've assigned ones compatible with your skills. If you have any concerns, just see me after the meeting."

She folded her hands in front of her and ignored the papers for the time being. "In addition to your job, everyone of able body will be required to take shifts on the wall on watch in teams of two. We don't usually have newcomers on watch duty so early but Aaron has vouched for you. And, given your experience with the outside world, I've decided to waive that rule. There's a list on the wall outside this room showing the schedule. Again, any concerns, come see me."

Rick interrupted her to make a comment. "On that subject, we have some safety concerns that need to be addressed. Daryl and I were just at the gate and there's several trees outside the wall that need to be cut down to have a better view of the perimeter."

He cocked his head and grimaced. "Now, that can be done in time. The main issue is how walkers that approach the walls are dealt with. While we were there, two came out of the woods, and…Carlos? The one on watch, wasted 5 bullets taking them down. The smart thing to do would be to draw them to the gate and use a knife through the bars. Not only will it save your bullets for when you really need them, but it will mean fewer walkers."

He shook his head at how sloppy their watch system was. "Every time you fire a gun, the sound attracts even more of them."

Deanna had been listening intently. She looked down at her paper and then back up at him, saying, "Rick, everything you're saying makes complete sense now that I hear it. I won't pretend we have a perfect system here. Mistakes we've made have cost us lives, but we're doing the best we know how, until we learn a better way."

She leaned forward and stared evenly at him. "I'm going to postpone the job I originally had in mind for you. Instead, would you oversee the training of all our lookouts based on your suggestions, as well as inspect the wall and let myself or Reg know of any further recommendations for making it more secure?"

Rick nodded, and added, "And I don't know how much ammo you have built up, but I also think it'd be a good idea to add target practice to the list for the other residents here. It should not have taken him five bullets to take down two walkers. I'm sure we can find a suitable location away from the safe zone to do it."

Deanna nodded. "I agree. Aaron or Eric likely know of a good spot. We'll set that up for next week."

She smiled and looked around. "Alright, back to business. Rick, we've already covered you. Daryl, Beth has told me that you two make a proficient team at hunting, so that will be one job for the two of you. In between your hunting trips, Daryl, if you could assist our crew with building up our firewood supply for the winter. The team is a little shorthanded at the moment because of a back injury. And, Beth, if you would try out your green thumb in helping our own resident gardener, Beatrice. She's a good hand at the basics, tomatoes and cucumbers, herbs, but I'd like to develop into a wider variety of crops. We've managed to accumulate a good selection of seeds to work with."

Beth looked a little overwhelmed, but Deanna held up her hands and continued. "Don't worry. I know it may seem like a lot to take on, but I'll make sure you have lots of muscle to help get it going."

Beth nodded, feeling a little relieved, when the door opened behind them.

Carlos came in, out of breath, and said, "Deanna, you said to let you know if we spot any game outside the wall. There's a deer. Just ran passed the front gate and went east. I was going to try shooting it, "he cast a fearful glance at Rick, "but I didn't want my ass handed to me twice in one day."

Daryl snorted under his breath while Deanna nodded and gestured to the door, looking at him and Beth with a smile. "There you go. Best of luck to you."

They both got up and headed for the exit when Deanna called out to them. "Oh, and there's a gathering at Eric and Aaron's house tonight, two doors down from you, to welcome you all to the community. It starts at seven."

Daryl waited until he'd turned around to roll his eyes and mutter, "Great."

On their way out Beth paused at the schedule for watch duty and scanned it for their names, smiling when she saw they were posted together. "You and me, tomorrow morning, …9 am sharp."

The man on watch duty with Carlos opened the gate for them, and Daryl pulled his crossbow down off his shoulder, holding it in front of him as they headed east, both scanning the ground for the small hoof prints.

Beth spotted them first, pointing without saying anything where the deer could still be close by.

Daryl nodded and raised his Stryker, ready to fire, but just as he caught sight of the deer through the trees the sounds of walkers could be heard coming from their right.

He kept the crossbow raised and looked at Beth out of the corner of her eye, whispering, "Dammit. Deer's gonna get spooked by them things."

Beth nodded and pulled her knife out of its sheath, gesturing with her head in their prey's direction, breathing, "You get the deer, I'll get them. Only sounds like a couple."

Daryl hesitated before nodding, and continued on after the deer in a low crouch.

Beth went in the opposite direction, her knife raised where she was still within sight of the two men on watch, and followed the all too familiar snarls. She saw movement through some foliage and came around to find two walkers snagged on the outskirts of a sprawling wild rose bush underneath a tree.

They hadn't noticed her yet because their focus was entirely on something above them, and she looked up.

Buddy was in the tree high above, sprawled out on a branch with his tail flicking lazily in the air, not looking the least bit threatened. Beth rolled her eyes and watched as they struggled to get through the bush, the thorns tearing the loose skin from their bodies as they fought through.

She grimaced at the sight and sighed, approaching the first walker from behind quietly, and stepped on the base of one thorny branch so it bent out of her way, driving her blade through the back of its skull. The walker collapsed in a heap in front of her, and she took care of the other one quickly in the same way, looking up at Buddy and whispering, "What the heck are you doing up there?"

He meowed and got up, stretching first before making his way down the trunk and slinking underneath the thorny branches unscathed to rub around her legs. Beth reached down to pet him, only to spot the movement of three more walkers ambling toward her from a distance away. These she didn't let get any closer, but snapped their heads one by one against tree trunks calmly and quickly from where she stood, and they each collapsed like the other two.

She'd have to mention them to the men at the gate, and see that someone disposed of the bodies.

Beth wiped the blade of her knife on some moss and sheathed it, looking down at the cat. "Come on, let's go find Daryl."

He was already dressing the deer when they came across him, and he looked up at her, his eyes scanning her quickly for any wounds, asking, "Any trouble?"

She shook her head and glanced down at Buddy. "No. Two were tryin' to get at him up in a tree, and then three others came along after that didn't get near me. I got them all. The shots that guy fired from the wall must have attracted them."

Daryl grunted in agreement. "Probably. Just lucky it's only been seven so far."

Beth looked around them to make sure they were alone as he finished up, and watched him wipe the blade of his knife on his pants before sheathing it.

She hooked her thumbs in her jeans pockets and tried to shake off any worry about the reason why he seemed to be avoiding sex with her, asking, "This is probably as much privacy as we're gonna get, Daryl. Can we have that talk now? 'Cause I'm goin' crazy thinkin' I did somethin' wrong."

Daryl had just crouched down over the deer, and he froze there, his face turned away from Beth. He sighed and shook his head, his eyes darting up to meet hers before rising to his feet, saying, "It ain't you, Beth. It's me."

"But what is it, then?" Her voiced dropped and she took a cautious step toward him. "I want to _be_ with you, Daryl. But you gotta trust me enough to share this secret, whatever it is, and I guarantee once you do it won't seem like as big a deal as it is in your own mind. Do you trust me? Because I trust you. I trust you with my life."

Beth swallowed thickly, the depth of her feelings for him making her voice tremble. "There's nothin' you can say that'll make me feel any different about you."

Daryl's eyes had been trained on the ground while she spoke, but hearing the raw emotion in her last words made him sigh again, this time with guilt. He closed his eyes briefly and said, "You're gonna think I'm some kind of loser."

Beth smiled at him tenderly, wiping a stray tear from her eye, and saying, "Yeah, well, if that's the case then you're my loser and I wouldn't trade you for anythin'."

He shifted awkwardly on his feet and blurted out, "I don't got hardly any…experience."

She nodded slowly, feeling some relief that that was it. "With sex?"

"Yeah."

"Are you a virgin?" Beth asked softly.

"No, but I might as well be. "Daryl chanced a look into Beth's eyes and didn't see any judgement there, so he continued on with a huff and a shake of his head. "Merle was always tryin' to get me laid. It was like a game to him. I guess he got tired of his baby brother comin' up with excuses, so he got me shit-faced drunk on my eighteenth birthday and convinced this girl he knew, that I thought was sorta pretty, to have sex with me. I was so out of it I hardly knew what was goin' on…guess it was over pretty fast. She stormed out, talked shit about me to anybody that'd listen about how bad I was. Stupid bitch gave me crabs, too."

Beth watched as he practically deflated telling his story, but couldn't help but giggle when he uttered the last part. She put a hand over her mouth to try and smother it.

Daryl's eyes narrowed at her, and he said, "You laughin' at me, Greene?"

She gave a shake of her head, fighting not to smile but failing, and walked over to him, saying, "Stupid bitch."

The words sounded so ridiculous coming out of Beth's mouth that he smirked and let her take his hand, looking down into her upturned face, saying, "I just don't wanna disappoint you where I don't know what I'm doin'."

Beth raised an eyebrow at him playfully. "Did I seem disappointed yesterday?"

"Nah," Daryl shrugged, thinking back on it and feeling his heart rate pick up, "but you showed me what you liked, so…"

"Exactly." She nodded at him, feeling her own cheeks flush at the memory. "But I think that's how it's supposed to be."

Taking in a deep breath, Beth decided to share even more because she knew it would make Daryl feel better. "Ok, Mr. Dixon, you spilled the beans, so I will, too. You're not the only one without much experience. I've fooled around with a couple of guys, who _really_ didn't know what they were doin', but I only ever went all the way once, and it was pretty bad because the guy was only thinkin' about himself. And he was sober, so he didn't have an excuse. Somehow I don't think that would be a problem with you."

"You serious?" Daryl looked down at her, surprised, and when Beth nodded he took her other hand. "Neither of them ever got you off?"

"Nope. You're the first. I told you that yesterday." She cocked her head at him, puzzled.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I just figured that was for my ego, or somethin'."

Beth huffed out a little laugh and stepped even closer to him, letting go of one of his hands to slide hers against the front of his pants and dragged her fingernails lightly over his growing erection.

He growled low in the back of his throat and she looked down where her hand was with a teasing smile, saying, "You're a lot bigger than either of them. And that _is_ for your ego, but it's the truth, too."

She pulled her hand away, leaving Daryl standing there with his mouth hanging open, and she bent down to pick up the deer's hind legs, looking over her shoulder with a teasing smile. "You comin'?"

He blinked a couple times before smirking at her and reaching down to grab the front legs, and together they headed back to the gate with the cat at their heels.

As they passed through, Beth shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up at Carlos where he sat on the wall high above them, calling up to him out of curiosity, "Just killed another five walkers. How many do you usually get here in the run of a day?"

The man shrugged, replying, "Hardly any. Those two I shot this morning were the first we'd seen in almost a week. This has always been a pretty quiet place."

Beth was going to ask if they bury them but Daryl kept walking with the deer, and Aaron spotted them with it, directing them to the community kitchen.

They dropped it off to an elderly woman there, and she gushed over Daryl and his catch so much that Beth couldn't help but laugh, watching him keep backing up toward the door, trying to escape from the unwanted attention.

They finally got out on the street again and headed in the direction of their house to get cleaned up for the party at Aaron and Eric's, and Beth snickered at Daryl's red cheeks. "I think you have an admirer."

His eyes darted over to meet hers in an unamused glare, and she looked ahead with a smile as they walked, offering, "That's good, though. If we don't work out it's lucky you have another girl waitin' in the wings."

"Alright, Greene. That's enough with you're smart mouth." Daryl took her arm by the elbow to slow her pace and ducked down faster than she could have imagined, hefting her over his shoulder.

She shrieked with laughter, hanging upside down behind him, and slapped his ass. "Daryl!"

His hand swatted her behind just as hard before picking up his crossbow with his free hand, and strutted toward their house, correcting her in a rough voice, "That's Mr. Dixon, to you."

Beth giggled all the way up the steps until he put her down, breathless, at their front door.

Before she turned the doorknob, she leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his mouth, eyes flashing up to meet his with happiness.

They went inside to find the rest of their house mates killing time before the party. Maggie was just coming down the steps, towel drying her hair. She looked at Beth and said, "Bathroom's free."

"Are there any clean clothes in the house?" Beth looked down at hers. She'd slept on top of the covers last night because she was covered in dirt.

Maggie nodded. "I sorted through a bag someone brought over. There's a few things up on your bed, "she turned a raised eyebrow on Daryl, "and on yours, too. Don't think you're not gettin' cleaned up and changin', mister."

Daryl glared back at her, his jaw grinding, looking like he wanted to say something but Beth grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs behind her before he could.

 **Well I'm glad that's out of the way. Now we can get on to some slightly more interesting stuff in the next chapter...**


	30. Chapter 30

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :)**

The gathering at Aaron and Eric's was as expected. Nearly all the safe zone residents were there, mingling amongst themselves, but making an effort to include the newcomers in their conversations.

You could tell the majority of Rick's group were trying, but they still looked uncomfortable in the forced social setting.

The only ones who looked relaxed were Maggie and Glenn. They were across the room, talking animatedly with another young couple who had a toddler, and Beth sipped from her bottle of water, happy that at least _they_ seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"How much longer do we gotta stay at this thing?" Daryl was leaning against the wall next to Beth with his arms folded and a surly expression on his face.

"We haven't even been here ten minutes, yet." Beth laughed softly and looked up at him. He was like a new person after his shower and change of clothes, but he still slipped his vest on over his new t-shirt just to spite Maggie for her comment earlier.

"Mmhmm." He looked around the room with a quick glance. "S'just a shame, is all."

"What's a shame?" Beth leaned against his side, eying him with curiosity.

"I mean, there's not gonna be many other chances like this." He said it so nonchalantly, like she should know what he meant.

"Daryl, "Beth faced him fully now, wondering what had gotten into him, and whispered, " _what_ are you talkin' about?"

He scanned over the room again, accounting for each one of their family members and then looked directly into Beth's eyes, his voice a low rumble that only she could hear. "Our house. It's only gonna be empty for the next hour or two."

It only took a split second for his meaning to register, and a slow grin spread across her face.

Daryl shrugged. "But if you wanna stay here, enjoy your water, that's fine, too."

A slow flush was building in Beth's cheeks thinking about what he was implying, and she grabbed his hand, spotting a clear path to the door that wouldn't lead them past too many from their group.

They'd only made it a few steps, though, when Maggie called out from behind her.

Beth turned impatiently to see her sister standing with a slightly older woman with long hair and glasses, and Maggie said, "Where are you going?"

"Outside." It wasn't _technically_ a lie.

Maggie didn't seem to suspect anything. She just nodded her head and said, "Oh. Well, I wanted to introduce Dr. Cloyd to everyone."

The woman smiled at Beth and held out her hand. "Oh, please. Call me Denise."

Beth wiped the trace amount of nervous sweat off her palm before shaking her hand, and forced an interested expression, even though her mind was solely focused on what she and Daryl might be doing within the next few minutes. "Hi. I'm Beth."

Maggie gestured beside her sister, and said, "And this is Daryl."

The doctor held out her hand to him as well, expectantly, and after being nudged by Beth he finally shook it and nodded.

Beth smiled at her sister, and asked, "Who haven't you introduced her to yet?"

Maggie looked around the room, thinking. "Umm, I guess it's just Tyreese and Sasha left…"

Beth didn't even let her finish. She caught Tyreese's eye and motioned hurriedly for him and Sasha to come over, then smiled pleasantly at her sister and the doctor. "Oh, there they are now! It was so nice to meet you, Denise."

Taking Daryl by the arm again, Beth started steering him toward the door, pretending not to notice the suspicious look Maggie was aiming at her.

Finally, the two of them were out in the night air, and they walked quickly back to their house.

Once they were inside the door, though, it seemed to hit them that they were actually alone and a brief awkward spell came over them as they stood in the foyer and looked up the steps that would lead them to the bedroom.

Daryl was the first one to break the silence when Beth made to start going upstairs. He shook his head, and said, "Nah, "and picked her up like a bride, just like he did all that time ago at the funeral home. She laughed and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, letting him carry her up the stairs.

Just as they passed the bathroom door she reached an arm out to it, saying, "Ooh, wait wait."

He set her down, confused, and watched her dart into the bathroom and yank open the top drawer. She reached inside and pulled out a big handful of condoms, walking back out into the hall where he picked her up again.

Daryl looked down at all of them and raised his eyebrows as he took her to the bedroom, getting a little breathless by now, and asking, "You got somebody else comin' over later I don't know about?"

Beth grinned up at him. "Nope." She laughed softly and threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, whispering, "Think you can handle it, Mr. Dixon?"

Daryl set her down by the bed carefully and moved to lock the door behind them, watching from across the room as she laid the condoms on the nightstand and turned on the small lamp.

His eyes never left her, and he said in a teasing voice, "Don't know. Might be dead by mornin' if we use all them tonight, but I'll try."

Beth turned to face him, sensing the joke was meant to hide any nerves coming to the surface, and she walked up to him slowly, caressing his face and speaking from her heart, "I'm a little nervous, too."

She shook her head gently. "But not enough to keep me from bein' with you." Her fingers wove into his hair again as she tried to think how to word what she wanted to say. "If you need more time, though, we can wait."

His eyes moved over her face, and he shook his head finally. "Tired of waitin'."

She let out a sigh of relief and smiled, stepping closer. "Me too."

Whatever hesitation Daryl had seemed to disappear as he bent down and kissed Beth. She wound both hands in his hair and stood up on her toes, leaning into him and sighing when his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her even closer.

It wasn't their first kiss, but it was by far the longest.

Eventually Beth broke away, gasping for air, and Daryl's mouthed moved over her neck. His lips dragged over the hollow of her throat, and the feel of his tongue flicking out to taste every inch of her skin there made her eyelids flutter shut. She moaned out loud as he worked his way up to her ear, sucking wetly on the lobe before slowly working his way down her neck and tugging the collar of her thin flannel shirt away to give him access to her shoulder.

The sudden motion undid her top snap, and she reached up, undoing the rest of them while he dipped his tongue into the hollow of her collarbone. Beth pulled apart the front of her shirt and let it fall over her shoulders and onto the floor, leaving just her bra on.

Daryl pulled back and met her eyes before letting his gaze sweep over all the newly exposed flesh. His hands slid up of their own accord to trace the curve of her waist, and she heard his groan of appreciation in seeing the shape of her breasts, even still inside her bra, for the first time.

"Will you take it off for me?" Beth waited for him to nod before turning and facing away from him.

She felt Daryl's rough fingers fumble briefly with the clasp before letting the two bands separate, and she ran her fingers up to the straps still on her shoulders, drawing them slowly down her arms before tossing it on the floor in front of her. She could feel the heat of his body behind her, and didn't turn around right away, a little nervous about revealing herself to him for the first time.

Daryl didn't wait for her to make the choice, though. His hands found their way to her sides again and slid around her ribcage just below where it dipped down to her stomach, running the tips of his fingers in feather light touches above the waist of her jeans. Her skin was trembling under his touch, and when his mouth lowered to taste the skin at the side of her neck she let her head drop back on his shoulder, pressing herself to him.

Beth's eyes were shut, and Daryl couldn't resist looking down as her back heaved against him. The sight of her breasts rising and falling just inches away made him growl into the hair at the base of her neck, unable to keep his hands from rising to cup them.

He squeezed them gently a couple times, letting his thumbs work closer each time to her nipples before bringing his fingers underneath and pinching them. Beth cried out as he worked them, tugging on them a little rougher each time. Her nipples were rock hard between his fingers now, and when he pulled on them again the pleasure went straight to her groin. They weren't even in bed yet, and she could feel how wet she was getting.

Beth's hands had been hanging by her sides, and the urge to press against the erection she could feel behind her became overwhelming. As Daryl tugged harder on her nipples she rose up on her toes and leaned against him, lining up the hard length of his cock underneath her ass cheeks and ground against it, sighing, "Ahhhhhh."

Daryl's hips jerked forward, craving more pressure, but he didn't want this to be over before it started and decided it would be better to distract Beth.

After breathing heavily into the back of her hair for a few seconds he started undoing her belt from behind, then the button and zipper. Remembering how she'd reacted last time, he dipped his hand lower over her curls and slid a finger between the lips of her pussy, using her juices to wet his fingertip and run it in a tight circle around her clit, just grazing the raised edges of the little nub with each pass. Beth blew out a ragged breath and gripped the material of his pants, her head hanging forward now, with each circle of his finger grunting a soft, "Ungh."

His left hand was still playing with one of her nipples, and he leaned forward and grabbed her right earlobe in his mouth from behind, making her hum with pleasure, but she whimpered when his finger stopped below.

He dipped it lower between the lips of her pussy and drew up even more of her juices with his finger, beginning a furious onslaught of movement around her clit. He'd barely started again when Beth cried out loudly, her hips bucking against his hand as her orgasm overtook her, and he slid his left arm in front of her seeing her reach out to grab something to support herself.

After a few seconds of labored breathing she lifted her head and wiped some stray hairs out of her face, leaning back against Daryl and sighing, "No fair. You distracted me."

He shrugged against her and smiled into her hair, breathing in the clean scent of the shampoo she'd used earlier, saying, "Wasn't hard to."

Beth giggled and felt him pull his hand out of the front of her pants as she turned and smiled up at him, her cheeks flushed. Sliding her hands up underneath his vest and coaxing it over his shoulders, she raised an eyebrow as it dropped to the floor, "Well, fair is fair, Mr. Dixon."

She grabbed the bottom hem of his t-shirt and started lifting it up, but it was interrupting his first real look at her so he tugged it over his head impatiently and raised a hand to her left breast, licking his lips as her nipples started peaking when his thumb passed over one again.

His eyes darted down to hers, and Beth's mouth gaped open from the look of raw desire that passed over his face when he spoke in a low gravelly voice, "Wanna take it in my mouth."

"Daryl," Beth whispered, shaking her head in complaint but helpless to refuse him when he bent down and took her right nipple into between his lips, nibbling on it gently with his teeth and coaxing it back to its rock hard state.

One of his hands slid around the back of her waist, and she gripped his shoulders as he bent her back slightly to pay the same attention to her other breast, his free hand kneading it gently and guiding the nipple into the warmth of his mouth, sucking on it until it was just as hard as the other one.

Beth's knees were going weak again, and she reached down and started unbuckling his belt hurriedly, wanting to feel him against her, naked, in the bed already.

Pushing his pants and boxers down past his hips as best as she could with her nipple still in his mouth, Daryl pulled back and saw her eyes half lidded with the same desire. He kicked off his boots, taking over undressing and watching her untie the laces on hers fervently, sliding her jeans and panties off next and kicking them to the side.

When she straightened, Daryl was standing naked before her next to the bed. Beth slid her hands over the defined muscles of his chest and arms, stepping close enough that her nipples grazed against his hot skin and she moaned at the sensation.

He swayed before her, momentarily overcome by the feel of her touch as her fingers moved over him, exploring parts of him she'd never seen before. Finally her hands dropped down to his hips, thumbing the muscles that cut in there before roaming behind to squeeze his ass, and she looked up at him, lips parted, breathing, "I want to feel you inside me."

Daryl looked down at her and nodded, letting her push him onto the bed where he laid on his back, watching her pick up one of the condoms off the night table before kneeling on the bed and tossing the little packet next to him.

Beth crawled up beside him on all fours and swung a leg across, hovering over him and smiling as she got close enough to kiss him. It was just one soft one she planted on his lips, even though he tried deepening it and running his hands up her back to bring her closer. She pulled back and wrapped her fingers loosely on his wrists, guiding them away from her and pushing them into the quilt beside his head, shaking hers and smirking. "No more distractions."

She shifted back and lowered her mouth to his neck, kissing and licking his skin playfully as she moved down to his chest, drawing ragged breaths from him as her nipples brushed against his chest a few times while she worked her way lower and lower.

When she was finally crouched in between his legs on her knees he was painfully hard, and she bent over his cock, running the tip of her nose and her open mouth over it from its base up to the tip, where she licked the drops of precum. Daryl grunted and fisted the sheets on either side of his head as she licked his length, making a conscious effort not to blow his load prematurely, but the sight of Beth's ass up in the air and her tongue running along his erection wasn't making it easy.

Beth made a few more passes with just her lips and then took his cock deep in her mouth in one smooth movement, earning a strangled groan from Daryl. His hands reached up to cover his face and try to think of something else just as she drew up to the head and teased the slit on the end with her tongue.

Finally, when he decided he couldn't take any more he reached down and touched her shoulder. Beth looked up at him, surprised, and smiled when she saw he was holding the condom package in his hand.

"You know how to put it on?" He passed it to her, and she nodded, tearing off the end and pulling out the condom itself.

Beth pinched the tip and rolled it down the length of his cock. When it was on, she started crawling up to lay down beside Daryl but he stopped her and said, "Think you should be on top."

She looked unsure, saying, "I'm not sure I know how. I haven't done it that way before."

"Me either, but I want you in control of this. Don't trust myself. All I wanna do right now is drive myself into you."

Beth gulped, thinking that sounded pretty good, but she nodded.

She positioned a leg on either side of him and sunk down so his erection was pressed between them, sighing at the feeling of his hard cock against her aching pussy. She closed her eyes and slid her wet heat over the length of it, spreading her juices along him, giving a little gasp each time the ridge of the head rubbed her clit.

Daryl gripped her hip, suddenly, though, stilling her and growled, "Jesus, Beth. I ain't gonna last if you keep doin' that."

She laughed softly and raised herself up, reaching down awkwardly for him and guiding the tip of his cock to her entrance. Beth sank down, feeling herself stretch to accommodate him, and lifted up slightly, then back down again, a little at a time until she fully engulfed him.

Her eyes had fallen shut and she groaned at the feeling of fullness, just sitting still for a moment and getting used to it.

Daryl stared up at Beth, having watched her take him all the way inside her, and exhaled out a quiet, "Jesus."

Beth looked down at Daryl, feeling the palms of his hands lightly running over her legs in a soothing manner. His chest was rising and falling with deep controlled breaths and he met her gaze, blinking, asking her in a rough voice, "Y'alright?"

She nodded, the urge to start moving getting stronger, but whispered, "You?"

He gave a quick nod in return and she said breathlessly, "I'm gonna start movin' now."

Not sure the best way to do it, Beth started rocking and grinding her hips against his and let out a satisfied moan at feeling him hit that spot deep inside her. Daryl watched her move above him, enraptured by the sounds she was making, and wanting her to make more, so when she got to the point where she moaned each time he thrust up slightly and she gasped out loud, eyes open wide to meet his gaze while continuing her movements. He did it again and she let loose a soft string of curse words.

When that position wasn't enough anymore, Beth leaned forward, planting her palms on Daryl's chest and raised her hips up experimentally, then pushed herself back down on his cock. She repeated the motion again and again, her eyes falling shut at the feeling of him sliding in and out of her.

Her pulse was starting to quicken, and she heard herself whine from how good it felt, her face contorting from the pleasure, but it wasn't quite enough.

Daryl's hands were gripping her hips to help her movements when he heard the tiny wail of frustration come out of her. Without thinking he slid his hand down and pressed the pad of his thumb firmly against her clit and she started bucking on him, her movements less controlled now as she came, crying out each time she fell back on his cock. Daryl grabbed her hips more firmly and thrust up into her another three times before finding his own release.

Beth fell forward onto his chest, completely spent, and she felt Daryl's hand reach up to smooth her hair away from her upturned cheek while their breathing slowly returned to normal.

Eventually she heard his voice rumble in his chest when she hadn't said anything after a good minute. "You alright?"

"Mmmhmm." Beth's eyes were still closed, cheek pressed against his short curly chest hair, feeling so relaxed she could be boneless.

Daryl's hands slid up to her back, seeming concerned. "You sure? You're not sayin' much."

Beth could barely manage a reply, but she said, "Can't move, "and licked her lips, "but that was …amazin'."

She felt him chuckle underneath her, but then he cleared his throat, rubbing circles on her back now and saying, "Sorry I wasn't able to last very long, yet. It's been a long time since I even bothered gettin' myself off."

Beth raised her head and propped her chin up on her hand, looking down at him with a wry smile. "In case you hadn't noticed, I don't seem to take very long."

Daryl looked up at the ceiling and nodded, "Mmmm. That's true."

She giggled and poked him in the ribs, but froze when his hands stilled on her back and he groaned.

She lifted herself up off his chest and asked him worriedly, "Are you ok?"

Daryl nodded and let out a breath he'd been holding, "Umm, yeah. Just wasn't expectin' that."

Beth looked down at him, puzzled, and said, "Expectin' what?"

"When you laughed, it just surprised me is all." He looked down at where they were still joined.

She raised herself up on her hands and followed his gaze. "When I laughed…oh, you mean this?" Beth smiled teasingly and clenched her walls around him a few times, watching his reaction. Daryl's breaths were coming faster and, to her amazement, she could feel him hardening inside her again.

Beth grinned down at him, raising an eyebrow at him as she gyrated her hips, asking, "Already?"

"Mmmhmm." He thrust upward and reached up to caress her breasts again, feeling her nipples hardening under his touch. "Think you can handle it, Greene?"

She laughed and leaned forward before things went any further, grabbing another condom wrapper off the night stand, and rose up until his growing erection slid out of her. She lifted one leg carefully, shifting to his side on the bed.

Daryl had propped himself up on his elbows, watching as she took the used condom off him and tossed it in the little trash can nearby. Tearing the foil wrapper of the packet in her hand, Beth rolled a new condom down over his length and then got on all fours beside him, dropping her mouth behind her arm to hide a wicked grin while she arched her back and waved her ass in the air next to him, purring, "I can if you can."

Daryl pushed himself off the mattress and positioned himself behind her, watching her spread her stance to make room for him, and shook his head at how beautiful she looked. "Jesus, Greene. You are tryin' to kill me. Just look at ya."

Beth smiled over her shoulder at his compliment, her cheeks flushing for a whole new reason, and felt him inching closer. He lined himself up with her entrance, and, wanting to give herself chance to adjust to the new position, she whispered back at him, "Slow at first."

He nodded and eased the head of his cock inside her just a couple inches. She was still so wet from before that she accepted him easily, but he followed her lead from when she was on top and gradually moved deeper each time until he was buried in her completely.

Beth had dropped her face to the quilt as he gently filled her up once more, and she sighed with pleasure at the feeling of fullness again. She pushed back against him slightly and raised her head so he knew he could start, feeling a small thrill of anticipation as his hands gripped her hips.

Daryl pulled out and thrust into her achingly slow, watching her reaction as he continued with the leisurely pace. It wasn't long before he heard her breathing hard against the quilt and she started pushing back each time he entered her, wanting more.

She called over her shoulder, her voice trembling and coming out in a low whine, "Faster, Daryl."

He picked up his pace only a little, still feeling her thrusting back at him impatiently. Barely a minute had passed and she was clutching the bedding in frustration, her eyes flashing back at him, almost angry, saying, "Daryl, _fuck me_. Oh my god, _please_."

The last word she drew out in a long sob, and he thought he'd never heard anything sexier in his entire life.

She spoke again, but this time her words were laced with a bit of steel. 'If you don't fuck me harder I'm gonna make myself cum."

Daryl shook his head at her and said roughly, "No, you ain't. You ain't gonna cum 'til I reach around and rub you myself."

Beth huffed in anger that he was making her suffer when all she wanted to do was have an orgasm, so she reached up between her legs and started touching herself, but Daryl felt it and pulled her elbow out, yanking her hand away, and she cried out with exasperation as he pushed it out in front of her.

He leaned over her and growled, "Do that again and I'll pull out."

Feeling his hot breath on her back and the threatening tone in his voice, Beth groaned even louder, feeling herself responding to him on a whole new level. Her nipples were so hard that even brushing against the bedding had the nerve endings feeling raw, and she lowered her face down as he finally started thrusting into her harder and faster, her breaths coming in pants as his hips slammed into her from behind.

She was so wet now she could feel her juices running down the inside of her thighs.

Beth sobbed into the quilt as his skin slapped against hers. She'd been on the brink of an orgasm for several minutes now, and tried to push herself up onto her elbows but she was shaking too badly with need.

Daryl must have sensed that she was at her breaking point because she felt his hand snake around her hip while he pounded into her, and two fingers swirled through her juices in a rough circle over her clit, but it was all she needed.

Beth buried her mouth in the quilt and screamed as the most intense orgasm she'd ever had ripped through her body. Each time Daryl pumped into her felt better than the time before, and she found herself clenching down on him in waves, crying out a long and drawn out delirious version of 'oh god'.

Daryl gave two more jerking thrusts and came inside her, a sheen of sweat on his face as he finally came to a stop, breathing hard. He rubbed his hands over her back and looked down at her, worried he'd crossed a line. "You okay?"

Beth's face was still buried in the quilt and she said something in a weak voice that was muffled.

"What?" Daryl leaned out, still on his knees behind her, and watched her turn her head feebly to the side.

"I said, holy shit." Beth groaned the words, and opened an eye to glare at him out of the corner of it. "Who's tryin' to kill who?"

Daryl smirked and pulled out of her slowly, apologizing when she grimaced at the loss of him.

Beth laughed and rolled over on her side, watching him toss the condom in the trash can. "Don't apologize. Just feels weird and empty when you pull out. It's like it should always be in there."

"That might be hard to explain to the others."

Beth giggled and rolled her eyes, drawing back the covers and climbing underneath, waiting for him to get in and put his arm behind her head so she could curl into his side.

She yawned and rested her hand on his chest, saying jokingly, "You gonna let me sleep now?"

"Sleep?" Daryl snorted and turned his head to look at the nightstand beside him. "We still got nine condoms to use."

She laughed and said, "Okay, so I might have been a little ambitious grabbing that many, but I think you destroyed a few of my brain cells during that last one and I need to regenerate some more before we go again. Deal?"

He looked down and nodded, kissing her forehead softly, then reached over and turned off the light, sighing tiredly into the darkness, "Who am I kiddin'? I'm old. I need the rest."

The last thing he heard was Beth giggling against him, and they both soon fell into a deep, untroubled sleep, completely unaware of the horrors the next day would bring.

 **Phew! Daryl, you sly dog, you. Where did that come from? Haha.**

 **Hope you all liked it. This was the longest sex scene I've written yet. Hopefully it's up to par.**

 **Please take a minute to leave a comment!**


	31. Chapter 31

Beth hadn't opened her eyes yet, but she could tell the sun was streaming in through the window next to the bed.

She sighed contentedly, clutching the wad of sheets held between her hands and stretched out her legs, letting her lids slowly blink open. Still curled on her side, the first thing she saw was Daryl, who was fully dressed and propped up on an elbow, watching her.

"Hey." She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room, noticing the sun was up higher than she thought. "What time is it?"

Daryl glanced over at the little clock. "Eight thirty nine."

Beth sank back into her pillow until what he'd said registered a couple seconds later, and she bolted upright. "Eight thirty nine? We gotta be at the wall in twenty minutes for watch!"

He nodded calmly. "I know. We got time. Go take a quick shower and get dressed." He held up a granola bar. "Got your breakfast right here."

She smiled and kissed him on the lips, throwing back the sheet and scooting over to the edge.

Dropping her feet down and standing, though, she couldn't hide her grimace as she bent to pick up her clothes and boots off the floor. She was definitely sore.

They'd had sex once more last night, the kind where you're both still half asleep. She'd woken sometime in the early hours with Daryl spooned behind her, his hand fondling her breast and warm mouth nibbling on her ear. Feeling his erection pressing against her backside, she was ready for him almost immediately, and just awake enough to hear the telltale sound of a wrapper being torn before he entered her slowly from behind. Her left leg resting on his, they'd rocked together quietly while he held her, until Daryl heard Beth's muffled cry and he followed behind seconds later.

Thinking back on it, Beth thought that it had seemed like a dream, but she couldn't ever remember feeling as safe and loved as she did right then in Daryl's arms.

Daryl had been watching her carefully, and seeing the brief hesitation in her movements confirmed his worry that the events of last night may have been too much too soon. They really should have paced themselves, but he'd be damned if he could get enough of her now that she was really his.

As she stood up she let out a quiet 'oooh', and he asked her, "You alright?"

Beth nodded and laughed. "Oh, yeah. I'll be fine. What's that expression? Rode hard and put away wet?" She raised a teasing eyebrow at Daryl and he couldn't keep from smirking.

"You give me the bastard's name and number. I'll talk to him." Daryl watched her throw on one of his t-shirts to cover up for her dash down the hall to the bathroom.

Beth paused before she closed the door behind her and grinned, saying, "Okay. Go easy on him, though, would you? 'Cause he's definitely a keeper."

She didn't see it, but Daryl broke into the widest grin as he sat by himself on the bed.

* * *

He was still waiting in the bedroom for her when she returned ten minutes later, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Her knife was lying next to the clock and she grabbed it, but as she snapped the sheath to her belt she eyed the dresser, confused. It was slightly crooked, and had been slid along the wall a few feet further away from the bed.

She called over her shoulder as she finished tying the laces on each boot. "Did you move the bureau?"

Beth looked across the bed at him and saw him shake his head, but as her gaze swept the room she realized all the furniture, except the bed, was slightly off kilter from their original positions.

Daryl was making his way to the door, though, waving the granola bar and saying, "Come on. We got five minutes."

So she nodded and hurried after him, deciding to worry about it later.

* * *

Beth scarfed down her breakfast on the short walk to the wall, and they made it there with a few minutes to spare. Carlos and another man they hadn't met yet started descending the ladder when they saw the next shift approaching.

They each passed their automatic rifles to Daryl and Beth, and Carlos nodded at the weapons, saying, "They both have a full clip, "he passed over two more, "and here's an extra for each one, just in case."

Carlos pulled a strap over his head and passed the binoculars to Beth. "Here you go. The next shift will be here to relieve you in two hours, and there's no residents outside the walls right now, so if you see someone, they're a stranger."

Daryl nodded and started climbing up the ladder, watching at the top to make sure Beth got up safely.

The height of the wall gave them a broad sweeping view of the fields directly in front of the safe zone, as well as the forest beyond. They both looked around, taking in the new scenery. It looked like it was going to be a perfect day. The sky was clear, and the air was still crisp enough to give the first sense of fall approaching.

Beth looked out around them and marvelled at the beauty. There wasn't a breath of wind, and the mile of long grass ahead of them lay undisturbed by any breeze.

They talked for a minute about going hunting after their shift was over, but eventually their conversation tapered off. Everything was so quiet. Too quiet, even.

Beth and Daryl looked at each other. Normally the woods would be buzzing with the sounds of different insects, but even they had fallen silent.

It was probably what made the sudden flight of more than a dozen birds from the tree tops just beyond the fields stand out so harshly from the peace and quiet around them.

Daryl strained his eyes for any sign of movement at the edge of the long grass, and Beth raised her binoculars, pausing before bringing them to her eyes to see the hair on her arms standing on end.

Daryl stood next to her and asked in a low voice. "See anythin'?"

Beth looked through the lenses and adjusted the focus, sweeping slowly over the treeline, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until her view passed over the road that dissected the forest that her blood ran cold.

In the distance, just barely visible where the road turned and disappeared, was a herd of walkers. She couldn't tell how many, some of them were only just stumbling up onto the pavement, others she could see moving through the trees. Regardless, they were all headed in their direction.

Beth had just lowered the binoculars to tell Daryl, when she heard him swear beside her. Lowering her hands, she followed his gaze.

There was no doubt now as to just how big the herd was. Walkers were emerging from the treeline by the dozens on either side of the road, and they kept coming.

Daryl spun around, wanting to yell out an alarm, but afraid to make any noise. He spotted Erin pulling out of a driveway nearby in a little golf cart, and she just happened to glance up and see him frantically waving his arm. She drove up to the base of the wall and looked up, asking, "What's wrong?"

He crouched down and spit out the words harsher than he probably should have. "There's a herd comin' our way. More than we can handle. Go get Rick and Aaron. They're at the far end of the street unloadin' the truck."

Her mouth hung open and she hesitated too long before Daryl's temper took over. He yelled down at her, "You wanna die, or somethin'? Go. _Now_!"

It seemed to snap her into action and she spun her wheel around, driving the cart up over someone's lawn before taking off at full speed up the street.

There was no one else in sight, and Daryl turned to find Beth staring ahead at the oncoming herd. A soft breeze was blowing wisps of hair around her face, and he put a hand on her arm as they waited for help to come.

The undead were still filing out of the woods in an endless stream, lurching through the long grass that wasn't laying still any longer, but rippled around their putrid legs, every blade parting to allow death closer to the living with each step.

Daryl's mind was in overdrive, trying to think of a way of diverting them away before they reached the community. There had to be a thousand or more walkers in the open now, and the gate would never stand up to that many, let alone the walls themselves. Deanna had to have a plan for a worst case scenario like this.

Beth hadn't said a word. She was frozen in place and her eyes were glassy as she watched the herd advancing. Daryl squeezed her arm and said, "Don't worry. We'll figure somethin' out. There's gotta be a way."

She nodded her head but didn't look at Daryl, and her voice cracked when she answered him. "Yeah."

Daryl turned around, hearing movement behind him.

Word must have spread fast because not only was Erin returning with Rick and Aaron, but a pickup truck overloaded with men holding guns pulled up to the gate. The other residents weren't far behind, among them, Deanna and Reg. Many adults jogged closer holding crude weapons taken hastily from their homes, while other families with children lingered in the background, not fully understanding what was going on.

Rick scaled the ladder quickly, followed by every other member of their family except Maggie and Glenn, who were still at the doctor's. Deanna climbed up behind them clumsily in her heels while Reg waited below, and several other lookouts came after her.

The wind was picking up now, and Rick's focus had switched from the herd to Deanna, who he was yelling a steady stream of words at. "What the hell do you mean you don't have a plan for this? These people put their safety in your hands and you never thought this could happen?"

Deanna tried to stammer a reply but he cut her off. "Do you have any ATV's or vehicles that could handle being driven over those fields to draw some of them away?"

"No. We don't. We only have the one truck and a handful of cars." She looked up at him, her eyes wide with the knowledge that people would die today because of their lack of preparation.

Rick's hand went up to his mouth and he spun, taking in all the lives around him that hung in the balance, and shouted over a new gust of wind. "Alright, we have to start loading everyone into any vehicle available and abandon this place, head out the back service exit…"

His orders were cut off by a woman's scream. " _What the hell is she doing?"_

Erin pointed her finger at the figure running away from the front gate toward the oncoming herd.

It was Beth.

Daryl's heart might as well have stopped in his chest for the sheer terror that flooded his system as he watched her. He screamed her name into the wind that he now realized was probably of her own making, knowing the word would be carried away and never reach her. He looked over at the trees that were bending and swaying as she passed by them, their trunks groaning under the pressure.

The last time he'd seen trees do that was back at the church when he'd returned to find Beth having a panic attack. She was paralyzed by her fear and guilt back then, trembling on the ground and unable to move, whatever craziness that was in her system somehow expressing the chaos inside by lashing out at the environment around her.

Watching her sprint away now, he could only choke out a sob, knowing the exact emotions she was fighting through without him by her side, and at the same time, marvel at how fucking strong she was to be running when it would cripple a normal person.

He turned and headed for the top railing, prepared to go after her but Rick grabbed him first, and yelled at him, "What the hell is she doing, Daryl? Has she lost her damn mind?"

Daryl yanked back from the man's grip, but all eyes were on him now, waiting for an explanation, only he didn't know how to give one. Didn't know how to explain _any_ of it. He knew _exactly_ what she was going to do, but describing it would make him sound even crazier, and he didn't want to waste the time when the woman he loved was going to her certain death.

* * *

Beth's side was starting to cramp, but she needed to get far enough away so no one would try dragging her back. Half turning for a brief glimpse over her shoulder, she saw the gate remained shut and everyone seemed to still be up on the wall. Guilt weighed heavy on her shoulders in leaving Daryl behind, but she wouldn't allow herself to try and spot him during her one backward glance.

She drew in a long shaky breath as her legs carried her further away, tears running down over her lips and into her mouth as she sobbed the words, "I'm so sorry, Daryl."

Regret burned deep within her that she hadn't told him she loved him before crawling down the ladder amidst all the confusion, but she didn't think she could get the words out without him reading her intentions.

Beth slowed her pace, realizing she was roughly at the halfway point, where she could now smell the cloying scent of death in the air. The herd was no more than a quarter mile away from where she stood in the road with her chest heaving, her lungs greedy for air after running all that way.

She knew she needed to get angry. The problem was, the only emotion coursing through her body at the moment, watching the herd come closer, was absolute terror. She was sure it must be dripping from her pores and that the walkers could smell it, that it would draw them to her that much faster.

So Beth did the only thing she could think of to shut down her fear and get to where she needed to be mentally if her sacrifice was going to make any difference.

She squeezed her eyes shut and let her thoughts drift to the memory of something far more terrifying.

* * *

"What the hell is she doing, Daryl?" Rick was twisting the leather of the man's vest to keep him from escaping down the ladder.

Daryl clutched Rick's arms in frustration, his breaths coming in short panicked bursts, and he looked over his friend's shoulder where he could see Beth in the distance, standing alone in the road, facing the oncoming herd.

He shook his head angrily, he should be out there with her. If he could just get out to her with that pickup truck and get her in it, maybe they could get away. He shouldn't have started to believe in this place, that it could be safe. He'd give it up in a heartbeat. He'd give everyone and everything up if it meant keeping her alive.

He felt himself being shaken again, and he yelled back, pushing Rick away from him. "She thinks she can save this place! Thinks she can save all of you. But she's gonna die doin' it, _and I can't let that happen!"_

He started moving toward the ladder but felt huge arms wrapping around him, pinning his own to his side, and he struggled to escape from it.

Abraham huffed against Daryl's efforts but his grip held like a vise. "You're not goin' anywhere, chief. Blondie's made her choice. No reason you gotta die, too."

Daryl flew into a rage at being held against his will, and he made Abraham stumble backward once, close to the edge, but Rick grabbed hold of them and pulled them back. He leaned down to look into Daryl's face.

The man's hair was in his eyes and he looked like a wild animal. Rick put a hand on his shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice, "Just tell us what's goin' on, Daryl. Maybe we can help."

"You can't help nothin'." Daryl saw everyone staring at him like he was the crazy one, and it pissed him off even more. "She got bit."

Rick pulled back, surprised. "When? Is that was this is? She's killin' herself?"

"No." Daryl spit the word out with contempt. "She got bit way back when those cops at the hospital took her, and they cured her, but whatever they did changed her."

"Like what?" Rick still looked utterly confused.

Daryl flexed his arms and tried to jerk away from Abe again, shooting a spiteful look up at the man. "Let go of me you fuckin' ape!"

Rick looked up at Abraham and nodded, and the big man released him.

Daryl rubbed his arms and shrugged at Rick's question. "Don't know how to fuckin' explain it, but she can move shit without even touchin' it, and once she levelled a goddamm forest without realizin' what she was doin."

Abe and a few others snorted but Daryl shook his head at their derision. "Yeah, go ahead, laugh. But you're all morons 'cause I've fuckin' seen it."

Rick was one of the only ones still looking at him like he was sane. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Daryl again. "You've seen it?"

Daryl nodded his head at his friend. "I never would've fuckin' believed it if I hadn't."

His words seemed to hang in the air, though, spoken loud enough to be heard over the gusting wind that died as suddenly as it started. The branches of the trees outside the wall were slowing their frenzied movements and coming to a rest, and everyone turned to look at the lone figure standing half a mile away.

Daryl cursed under his breath, knowing he was too late.

* * *

 _Beth could still feel Maggie's hand in hers as they stood side by side in the prison courtyard, watching Rick standing behind the outer fence, negotiating with Him, and then the cool steel of the rifle that Daryl gave to her. Only, in her memory, instead of watching helplessly from a distance, she let the gun slip through her fingers and fall to the ground._

 _She slid open the gate and walked down the path, beyond Rick, hooking her fingers in the fence and staring longingly at her Daddy, forced to kneel in the grass like some criminal._

 _She could hear the conversation going on, although the details were muffled, but when He appeared beside her father, the sunlight glinting off the blade of Michonne's katana, she gripped the fence and pleaded with the man to stop. The blade swung back, and the smile on her Daddy's face that had been aimed at Rick fell, and his eyes moved to her. She watched him mouth her name as the steel came down, leaving his head hanging at an unnatural angle._

 _Beth shook the fence violently with both hands and screamed at the man with the eyepatch as her father started to fall…_

Beth came back to the present making a blood curdling inhuman sound. It pierced the air just as a wall of energy was released from her body, mowing down the first wave of the undead.

They toppled backward onto the ground, bodies and skulls crushed, and Beth dropped to one knee, black spots fading and reappearing in front of her eyes as she struggled to keep from falling over.

The air wheezed in and out of her lungs as she knelt there, feeling drained, and she lifted her head, hoping it had been enough.

It wasn't.

They were still coming.

* * *

"Mother of God." Rick whispered the words as he watched hundreds of the walkers fall.

Every other person on the wall was frozen in place over what they'd all just witnessed. Some rubbed their eyes, not trusting their own vision, others made the sign of the cross, and for once, Abraham was speechless.

Daryl pushed his way around the big man to see Beth. She was crouched down on one knee, and he breathed a sigh of relief that she was still okay.

No one was going to stop him from getting to her this time, and he fought through the crowd of stunned people, but stopped short in his escape. Glenn was just helping Maggie up off the ladder, and they looked around, wondering why everyone was so quiet.

Glenn wove through the people, holding Maggie's hand, until he stood beside Rick. His breath sucked in when he saw the herd. "Rick, what the hell is going on? We gotta get out of here."

But then his eyes drifted to the lone figure hunched over on the road. "Who is that out there?"

Rick turned his head, looking at Glenn first, and then at Maggie, who was shielding her eyes trying to make out who it was. He said quietly, "It's Beth."

"Beth!" Maggie face was stricken with panic, and she clutched Glenn's arm, yelling. "Why is she out there? We've gotta go get her!"

Daryl heard Rick say Maggie's name but he was already climbing down the ladder. Somebody else would have to explain the shit to her.

He was just stepping off the bottom rung of the ladder when a voice cried out above him.

"She's getting up again!"

* * *

It took every ounce of her will, but Beth forced herself to her feet. She swayed for a moment before taking a feeble step forward, trying to shake off the fatigue. She'd just have to do it again. She could do that, right? For the people she loved?

Beth thought of everyone behind her, their lives in mortal danger if she couldn't do what she'd set out to do.

Watching the rotting corpses stumbling forward, she welcomed the spark of fury growing inside her, not at the people these once were, but _for_ them. Fury at this horrible virus. The billions of lives it had taken since the beginning of the turn. All the needless pain in the world now, the starvation. How it had turned people who were once good into monsters capable of anything.

Sweat was running in streams down her face, stinging her eyes as she struggled not to fight against the darkness taking over her. And when the rage kept building and building inside until it nearly felt like there wasn't enough room for _her_ anymore, she raised her arms out by her sides, setting it loose when she simply couldn't bear having it inside her any longer.

It ripped from her body with an audible crack, sucking all the air out of her lungs with it, and she fell into a heap on the asphalt.

She cowered there, shaking, feeling like whatever good that was once inside her might be gone forever. Tears fell down onto the hot pavement, and over her ragged breaths she heard the unmistakable sound of another chorus of moans in the distance.

Beth shook her head slowly, feeling so frail that it was one of the only movements she could manage. It was then that she tasted something metallic in her mouth.

Raising a shaky finger to touch above her lip, she brought it up in front of her hooded eyes and saw her bright red fingertip. She was bleeding from her nose.

"Please, "she sobbed in a whisper. "Please, help me."

Beth didn't know who she was talking to, or if she even believed in God anymore, but no one answered, and her vision faded to black.

* * *

"Oh!" Maggie's hand rose to her mouth as she watched half of the remaining herd being pulverized by whatever force was coming out of her little sister, and then Beth collapsed.

She cried out to her husband," Glenn, she's gonna die out there!"

Rick had just ran after Daryl, and Glenn's face was a mask of grief. He looked at the others around him who were still struck speechless by what was unfolding before them.

There had to be more they could do than just stand here and watch, so he turned to them to get their attention, saying, "Hey."

None of them acknowledged him, so he yelled it this time. " _Hey!"_

Everyone jumped this time, temporarily brought out of their stupor.

Glenn pointed his arm out at the fields and said, "Beth is out their putting her life on the line to try and save us…to save what you've built here. I don't believe in miracles much, but if by some slim chance she's got it in her to take one more shot at that herd then we need to be ready to take out any stragglers while they get her help. Who's with me?"

It was a given that the rest of their family would gladly volunteer, but seven of the men from earlier, still holding their rifles, stepped forward.

Glenn nodded, relieved, but shook his head at their weapons, saying, "No guns. Anyone who's no good with a knife or shovel, or whatever, needs to stay behind. We can't risk the gunfire attracting any more to us."

Maggie listened to him finish and turned back around to face the fields again, wiping the tears falling freely down her cheeks and focused on the tiny form of her sister sprawled on the road in the distance. Her only remaining blood.

Eyes closed, she wrapped her arms around her middle and did something she hadn't done in ages.

She prayed.

 **I've had this entire scene playing out in my head for months. It was kind of a relief to finally get it down into words. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter.**


	32. Chapter 32

**I'd like to apologize beforehand for this chapter. Please don't hate me. This is the way it needs to happen.**

 _"Doodlebug doodlebug, go away home_  
 _Doodlebug doodlebug, go away home."_

 _Beth's eyes were closed but she could feel her right hand engulfed in another's, and warm calloused fingertips were tapping out a soft rhythm with the nursery rhyme on the back of her hand._

 _Looking up at the ceiling, she recognized the cracks in the plaster. She was lying in the bed in the front room at the farm._

 _Her head turned to the right to see who was sitting beside her, but she already knew. It was her father._

 _"Hello, Bethy." He smiled warmly at her. "Welcome back."_

 _"Have I been gone very long, Daddy?"_

 _"Too long," Hershel squeezed her hand, "but time passes slow here. Still, I expected to be kept waitin' much longer."_

 _"Daddy, are you talkin' in riddles?" Beth giggled at him._

 _"Maybe," He chuckled at his youngest, "but it wouldn't be anything you couldn't figure out. Your mother always said you were a sharp one. I know it'll come to you."_

 _Beth ran her other hand over her grandmother's quilt, coming across a loose pink thread that she wound around her little finger while she puzzled over what her father had just said. "What will come to me?"_

 _"The answer, sweetheart. The answer to every question. But especially the answer you need right now if you're going to make your way back to him."_

 _She sucked in a painful breath at the thought of leaving Daryl, and though she made an effort to blink them back, a single tear ran down her cheek and onto the pillow._

 _Her voice broke when she looked at her father. "I tried, Daddy. I tried so hard, but it wasn't enough. And now I'm gonna die and he'll never know."_

 _"Oh, my brave beautiful girl, don't you cry. There are some things in this world that are beyond all hope, but this is not one of them." He leaned forward and looked at her seriously. "Which brings us to the answer to that question."_

 _"What is it? Tell me, Daddy."_

 _His kind eyes travelled over her face, as though committing her features to memory. "Love."_

 _"Love?" Beth tried to make sense of it, but couldn't._

 _"Love is often underestimated, Bethy, but it's a powerful thing. More powerful than a world of hate."_

 _"That's nice, but I don't understand."_

 _"You will, sweetheart." He got up out of his chair and looked out the window. "It's time for you to get up now."_

 _"Okay." Beth peeled back the covers and stood next to him, following his gaze. She could see some movement outside, but the shapes were blurry._

 _Walking round the end of the bed, Beth turned and looked up at her father, torn, her chin starting to tremble with emotion. "I don't want to say goodbye again, Daddy."_

 _Hershel pulled her against his chest in a warm hug, resting his chin on her blonde hair. He closed his eyes and tried to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. "It's not goodbye, Bethy. It's 'til we meet again. You've got a long life to live, and someone by your side to live it with. I've seen it." He thought of something that made him chuckle. "You know, I can't wait."_

 _She pulled back, still in his arms, and cocked her head at his smile. "For what?"_

 _"To meet you children someday. They're going to be beautiful."_

 _Beth blinked up at him and returned his smile shyly, glancing out the window again. The shapes had drawn closer, but she still couldn't make them out. Drawing in a deep breath, she hugged her father once more, saying, "I love you, Daddy."_

 _"I love you, too, Bethy."_

 _She pulled out of his arms and walked to the front door, pausing with her hand on the doorknob to look back at him and say, "Until we meet again?"_

 _Hershel nodded at her with an affectionate smile. "Until we meet again."_

 _Beth smiled back at him one last time and turned the knob, pulling back the door and stepping through._

* * *

Running straight toward the pickup truck facing the gate, Daryl noticed a woman standing with her arms folded, talking to someone else quietly. He yelled over to her, "Hey! You're that doctor, ain't you?"

She nodded, and he waved his hand at the truck. "You're comin' with me."

Denise raised her eyebrows at his order and motioned with her head at the gate. "I'm not going out there. Are you crazy?"

Daryl slid the strap of the automatic weapon off his shoulder, still hanging there from the start of his shift, and pointed it at the woman's head.

Several of the other residents gasped and took a step back in fear as he barked out the order again. "I said, get in the truck, lady. I ain't askin' again."

She cocked her head at him calmly and said, "I highly doubt that if you need a doctor you'd shoot the only one here." Daryl still held the gun on her, his eyes narrowing, but unable to argue with her reasoning, so she sighed and asked, "Your girl is out there?"

He nodded curtly and waited. She rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Well, since you asked so nice, let's go, then."

Daryl and the doctor headed for the pickup. While she got into the passenger side, Daryl yelled at Carlos to let them out, but the man shook his head vehemently.

"I'm not opening that gate, man."

Daryl raised his rifle again and pointed it at him. Carlos cringed back against the gate, holding his hands up in the air, but he still shook his head and cried out, "No. I'm not letting any of those things in here!"

"Gate's not gonna hold anyway, pal." Daryl pointed the end of his gun's barrel at the latch next to the man. "Open it and close it behind us, I don't give a shit, but I'm drivin' this truck outta here whether you're dead or alive. I'd choose 'alive', if I were you."

Rick jogged over, holding his hands up, trying to defuse the situation. He looked at Carlos, "Listen. One of our people is out there. You met her, right? Beth." Carlos nodded weakly, and Rick went on, "She's a good person. Just let them go get her and no one has to get hurt."

Carlos looked back and forth between the two men, gulping nervously, until finally he nodded with reluctance. Just as he turned to unlock the gate someone yelled out Daryl's name from above.

He looked up at the wall, one foot inside the truck, and saw Maggie staring down at him over the edge, crying out in a panicked voice, "You gotta hurry, Daryl! They're almost on her!"

Daryl got in the truck and slammed the door shut, turning the key and revving the engine as Carlos started pushing the gate open.

* * *

Beth sucked in a breath of air and lifted her head off the pavement groggily, blinking a couple times to clear her vision. Her mouth and throat felt unbearably dry, and she coughed weakly, pushing her hands against the rough asphalt to raise herself into a sitting position.

Blood was still streaming from her nose, and she watched two drops fall on the back of her hand as she raised her other one to her forehead. Her head was pounding, and she closed her eyes for a second, pressing the tips of two fingers between her brows to try and calm the throbbing there.

She needed to get up.

Beth tried straightening out the leg bent beneath her, but her knee protested after being twisted in such an odd position from when she fell. After a couple of tries, she managed to climb slowly to her feet, still favoring the one leg heavily, and looked ahead.

The remainder of the herd was much closer now, the first of them within a hundred feet of Beth.

There had to be four or five hundred left, and she watched them stumble over the remains of the others, clumsy in their efforts to get to their only visible prey. Her.

Beth could hear the whine of an engine in the distance, but she couldn't let herself be distracted. She raised her face up to the rising sun and closed her eyes, whispering, "Please be right, Daddy."

She let her thoughts drift to her family. Maggie and her unborn child, all the joy and laughter a new baby would bring. Glenn, the big brother she didn't realize she still needed. He was so good for her sister. Judith. Beth felt a smile spread on her face remembering how the little girl had giggled with excitement playing with those cheap red cups at the prison. She was the hope that they needed just to get through some days. Rick and Carl. They'd been a part of her life for so long that she sometimes forgot they _weren't_ related. And Michonne, Sasha, Tyreese, Tara, even Eugene, they were her friends and she would give her life for any of them.

Daryl.

Beth felt her chest swell up and her heart began to pound a stronger rhythm just thinking of him. Her weight shifted without thinking to the leg she'd been favoring, and it flexed underneath her, suddenly free from pain.

The way he looked at her. The way he touched her. He was everything she never knew she wanted or needed. She yearned to build a life with him, become his wife. Raise a family with him. She could almost hear their children's laughter, see their faces.

Beth opened her eyes, overwhelmed by a rising sense of euphoria. She didn't feel drained at all anymore, but instead, brimming with the love she had for the people behind her. It was intoxicating.

So much so that she laughed out loud, tears of happiness falling down her cheeks, unable to hold all the joy inside.

The air around her was crackling with electricity, causing the loose hairs framing her face to rise up, yet there was no fear this time. She looked at the faces of the walkers drawing nearer, but instead of seeing the rotting flesh and exposed bone, she imagined them as their former selves, holding their own loved ones, eager to be at peace.

She would give them that.

* * *

The gate drew to the side and Daryl floored the truck, the rear wheels kicking back loose rocks on the pavement. Rick had jumped in the back just as the engine rolled over, and he hung on to the sides as they fishtailed slightly before straightening up.

Daryl could see Beth not even half a mile ahead. Her arms were out at her sides and the air around her shimmered and cracked with sparks.

The walkers were almost on top of her now, a stone's throw away, and he floored the engine just as a visible wave of energy erupted from her. It was a writhing mass of air that flowed over the ground's surface quickly, engulfing everything in its path of destruction, and only slowing after it passed deeper into the forest, felling dozens of trees in its wake before fading away to nothing more than a soft breeze.

His eyes darted back to where Beth stood, and as he watched, she started to turn toward the sound of the truck, but faltered and crumpled to the ground.

"Noooooooo!" Daryl screamed at the windshield, desperate for the truck to go faster but the pedal was already at the floor. He slammed his fists against the wheel that it was taking so long to get there.

Seconds later he screeched the truck to a halt several feet from her, yanking the lever into park and flying out of the cab. He was the first one at her side, yelling her name.

Beth's face was hidden by her hair, and he rolled her over on her back, brushing it out of the way and sucking in a panicked breath at her appearance. There was blood running from her nose and ears.

Denise ran around to her other side and immediately brought two fingers to Beth's jugular while Rick paced in the background. She shook her head after several seconds and said, "She's got no pulse. Help me get her in the truck bed. I'll start compressions on the way back to the clinic."

Daryl lifted Beth right away and went to the back of the truck where Rick already had the gate down. As he slid her body on for Denise to pull in further, Rick squeezed Daryl's shoulder and said, "I'll drive. You stay with her."

Daryl nodded and climbed in just as two cars from the safe zone flew by with people in them to take out the couple dozen walkers emerging from the trees that had lagged behind the main body of the herd.

The doctor was already planted by Beth's side, starting chest compressions. She had to widen her knees to keep her balance as Rick pulled a quick u turn and floored it.

She pressed down quickly on Beth's breastbone, elbows locked, and looked across at Daryl as the wind whipped her hair around her face. "You're going to breathe for her Daryl. Listen to me count to thirty, and then you tilt her chin back and blow two deep breaths in and then I start again. Can you do that? I'll show you how the first time."

Daryl nodded, wiping the tears away from his mouth hastily, and crawled up near Beth's head, waiting. Under her breath, Denise said, "28, 29, 30. Okay, just like this."

She pressed two fingers underneath her patient's chin and tipped her head back, opening the airway. "Now pinch her nostrils shut and form a seel over her mouth with yours. Exhale deeply twice."

Denise watched him follow her instructions exactly and nodded, returning to her compressions. She looked around, seeing that the truck was back inside the safe zone, and yelled up to Rick, "Do you know where the clinic is?"

He reached behind and slid open the window at the back of the cab, yelling to her, "No. Tell me where!"

"Turn left at the hall you were at this morning. It's the small white building around the back."

She looked down at Beth's head while she counted and muttered in between numbers, "I don't like that she's bleeding out of her ears, Daryl."

He barely heard a word she said. The only thing he could focus on now was the numbers Denise chanted, and doing his job breathing for Beth.

Maggie already had the door open to the clinic as Rick pulled up next to it, killing the engine.

Daryl opened the tailgate and jumped down, taking Beth in his arms and rushing her in, barking out impatiently, "Tell me where, doc!"

Denise pointed with her arm. "To the left! Set her on the table."

It was clearly a makeshift operating room, and Daryl turned sideways as he practically ran through the door, laying Beth out gently on the cold steel table. Denise was already lowering it so she could keep going with her CPR, and she started up again quickly.

Rick glanced across the room at Maggie. She was pacing back and forth anxiously, never taking her eyes off her little sister while she sniffed back her tears.

After Daryl did his next two breaths Denise held her fingers to Beth's neck again, searching for a pulse and shaking her head when she felt nothing.

She leaned over the table and started again, she and Daryl continuing on like that for some time.

Eventually Glenn came in the room and immediately went to Maggie's side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She was weeping openly now.

The doctor had just finished another set and she pulled back wearily, the exertion of so many compressions finally getting to her, and let Daryl give the two breaths while she glanced up at the clock. She held her fingers to the inside of her patient's wrist this time, closing her eyes and waiting.

When Denise opened them she looked across the table with a sigh and spoke gently, "I'm so sorry, Daryl." Her eyes dropped sadly to the body of the young woman before her. "She's gone."

Daryl gripped the edges of the table and looked down at Beth, his shoulders shaking as he gave in to his grief.


	33. Chapter 33

**Do you hate me yet? I hope not. Keep reading.**

Rick spoke up quietly from behind Daryl, his own voice cracking. "There's nothin' else you can do?"

Denise shook her head. "It's been over twenty minutes. In my experience, if a patient can't be revived after that time… " She looked down at Beth and whispered. "And the brain bleed from her ears. I'm sorry. Whatever it was that she did out there caused more trauma than she could take."

Maggie turned and sobbed loudly against Glenn's shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her, looking over at Rick helplessly, who was trying to hold it together for his friend, too.

Daryl had sunk down to the floor next to the table in anguish, still gripping the edge as he drew in shaking breaths, tears streaming down into his open mouth.

Rick came forward and put his hands gently on Daryl's shoulders, swallowing his own pain to comfort his friend. "I'm so sorry, Daryl."

The room went silent except for Maggie's crying.

Daryl stared ahead, unseeing, still crouched down below Beth, until something clicked inside him.

His hands flexed against the steel, and he shook his head bitterly, remembering. Finally he stood up, yanking on the table. The metal feet dragged over the cement floor with a loud grating sound, and Beth's body rocked gently with its movement.

Daryl stared down at her, and his words were laced with both anger and the sting, the deep inconsolable hurt, of being betrayed by a loved one. "You promised. You promised you wouldn't leave."

He choked out an indignant sob and stood there, blinking for just a brief moment before placing the heel of his hand on Beth's chest like he'd seen the doctor do, and started doing compressions. Only, his fury over her failure to keep her word meant that he pressed down too hard, and after just a few counts, one of Beth's ribs broke.

Glenn called out to him, still holding Maggie, who was unaware of what was going on. " _Daryl!"_

Rick had stepped back to give Daryl his space but now he came forward, gripping his friend's arms, and pleading with him. "I know you're hurting, brother, but this isn't the answer."

Daryl ignored both of them, lost in crippling rage and grief, and kept pushing down, counting out under his breath, Beth's head rocking slightly with his hurried compressions.

Another rib broke.

This time Glenn let go of Maggie and screamed at him to stop, but it had no effect on Daryl.

Rick was pulling more forcefully on his shoulders now, trying to get him away from the table but Daryl swung back and clocked him across the face before turning back to continue his ministrations on Beth.

Denise had been watching the scene unfold from the sidelines, and she made the decision that she just couldn't let it continue. She yelled out at some men she could see lingering in the hallway. " _Can we get some help in here, please?"_

The three men came in the room, quickly assessing the situation, and along with Rick started forcefully dragging Daryl away from the table.

He roared at them. " _Get off me!"_

Just before he was out of reach of her body, Daryl swung his one free arm high in the air and brought his closed fist down with a thud on her breastbone, and Beth's mouth opened wide in a shuddering gasp for air.

She stared up at the ceiling, coughing loudly but then clutched her side in agony.

Everyone's eyes were drawn to the table in disbelief. Daryl started struggling even harder to get back to her side and the men released him when Denise nodded at them.

He clutched her hand and raised it to his mouth, laughing incredulously against the back of it when she smiled up at him weakly.

Daryl couldn't speak for nearly a minute. His shoulders were still shaking from crying so hard, but he eventually got out the words in a rough voice. "Thought I lost you."

She moved her head from side to side slowly, swallowing with difficulty before replying in a hoarse whisper, "Made you a promise."

Maggie had come to her other side, still crying but smiling now through her tears. Denise pushed her down further to make room for her to check Beth's vitals, but she still gripped her little sister's leg and looked up at her. "You scared the hell out of us, Bethy, "and seeing the weak shrug she got from Beth for an apology she continued on with a raised eyebrow, "and you've got some explainin' to do, not tellin' your own sister about everythin'."

Daryl's head snapped up and he stabbed his finger at Maggie, growling, 'We ain't talkin' about _none_ of that right now. You hear me? She was just dead two minutes ago, for Christ's sake."

Maggie looked sufficiently guilty so he turned back to Beth and said in a low voice, "All you gotta do is get better, alright?"

Beth nodded up at him gratefully, and Denise wrapped her stethoscope around the back of her neck, saying, "Well, Miss Greene, you are a living, breathing miracle, as far as I'm concerned. Your vitals are all completely back to normal. I _will_ have to wrap those ribs of yours," she raised an eyebrow at Daryl, "thanks to him."

He narrowed his eyes and glared back at the doctor. "I ain't apologizin' for nothin'. You gave up on her."

Denise sighed heavily and started searching through a cabinet for a roll of bandages, not hearing Daryl lean down and whisper to Beth. "Sorry, 'bout your ribs."

She giggled and then clutched her side again, and Daryl grimaced like he was the one feeling the pain.

Beth let out a breath carefully, smiling up at him. "It's okay, Daryl. They'll heal just fine."

The doctor returned to the table, sweeping her hands toward the door. "Alright, everybody out. She'll be moved next door to the hospital bed after we're done, but no more visitors until tomorrow morning. This girl needs her rest."

Beth clutched Daryl's hand tighter and looked up at Denise. "He stays."

The doctor let out an amused sigh. "How did I know you were going to say that?"

* * *

Daryl spent the night with Beth, finally allowing her to coax him into the bed with her, but he insisted on laying on the side that didn't have the broken ribs, and even then he handled her like glass.

He only begrudgingly left her side for a couple hours in the early morning because Rick stopped by and said they were all being summoned to the hall for a community meeting about Beth.

She was awake when he returned, and watched him lay his crossbow down tiredly on the chair before he came over.

Beth took his hand and looked up at him, concerned. "Everythin' okay?"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, not wanting to lay more troubles on her, but knowing she wouldn't let it go until she found out. "Deanna called a meetin'. Handful of idiots here were getting' their asses up, sayin' you were a danger to the community."

She tried to pull herself up but winced. "A danger? But I just about died tryin' to save them. I _did_ die."

Daryl shook his head, saying, "You don't gotta tell me. The whole family was standin' up for ya, yellin' back at them each time somethin' even more stupid was said.

"Came down to all of us sayin' we'd leave if you weren't welcome here. That the next time a herd came along they could kiss their dumb asses goodbye, 'cause they wouldn't be gettin' any help from us."

"And?" Beth waited nervously.

"And Deanna sided with us. Basically told them to shove it."

Beth let out a long sigh of relief as he hauled a chair over to her bedside, and he said, "Oh. Eugene said to make sure to tell you he finished tunin' your piano."

He leaned his elbows on the bed and took her right hand, thinking on something for a second before asking her, "You remember that song you sang for me at the funeral home?"

She thought back to that time and then smiled and nodded.

"Think maybe once you're feelin' better you could play it again?"

Beth squeezed his hand affectionately. "I'd like that."

Daryl nodded and looked down at their hands with a pleased smirk. "So you really think we can make a life here, huh?"

While he asked the question Beth realized she'd been playing absentmindedly with something on her left hand. She lifted it up to see what it was, and froze.

There was a worn pink thread wrapped around her little finger, and she sucked in a breath, her eyes starting to brim with tears.

"Somethin' wrong?" Daryl was looking at her with concern, but she shook her head quickly and smiled up at him with a little laugh.

She thought about his original question while he waited, imagining their future together.

"Yeah, I think we can." Beth rubbed the thread thoughtfully with the tip of her thumb, and looked up at the man she loved, saying, "In fact, I've got a really good feelin' that we will."

 **I guess I didn't really go about this the usual way by posting all the chapters at once, but where this is my first fic I wanted to be sure I could finish it, and I'm also an impatient kind of person. I don't even like keeping other people waiting. Maybe that means I'll get fewer comments overall. I hope not.**

 **If you've gotten all the way to the end, I do hope that means you enjoyed the story. Please please please, take a moment and leave me some feedback about what you thought...likes, dislikes, the whole shebang. It'll do wonders for helping me decide if I should take another shot at a different story down the road.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


End file.
